Bloodstained Night
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: 'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you'
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

New story again. I've tried a bit of a new style with this story, so it may be a bit confusing at the moment, but I can pretty much guarantee it will all tie in together at the end, so please bear with me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of the characters. I'm just a girl with a hyper imagination.

Fresh air (out in the ocean and country side) does that to ya. But sadly, my vacation comes to a close, which means school is starting up again and updates will be slowing down.

And without further ado, I introduced Bloodstained Night, so please read, enjoy and review. They really make my day (or night, depending on the time.)

**

* * *

Bloodstained Night**

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_He could smell the pungent scent of blood in the room. He could see it too, splattered on the white walls and staining them. A butcher's knife, coated in blood, lay tossed carelessly on the carpeted floor, which was slowly losing its pale yellow colour to take on a crimson facade._

_The origin of the blood however, was not any of the aforementioned places, but rather a limp body partially hidden from view by another whose body was hidden by a cloak, and his face hidden by a mask. He stared at the cloaked figure's blood coated hands for a bit, before averting his gaze to the partially hidden limp figure._

_Immediately, he wished he hadn't. Even partially hidden, the body's gruesome disfigurement was not a sight for any same person, let alone an eleven year old boy still recovering from a head injury. But sadly, such choices do not always lie with those who desire it._

_The man, once handsome in his own right, was covered in vicious slashes, courtesy of the knife forgotten on the carpeted floor. The blood was moist, and still seeping from the worst of wounds, namely those littering his face and chest. Parts of his body had been hacked with the knife, arteries and veins slashed open as though the perpetrator had attacked his victim in a fit of madness._

_And ironically enough, that was exactly what had occurred. Now, in the midst of his bloody guilt, the cloaked man wept for the innocent life that he had snuffed out, perhaps far beyond his time. Lost in his own guilt-soaked thoughts, he jumped as two smaller hands covered his own. Lifting his eyes, he was startled to find himself staring into two deep blue eyes._

_ 'You truly feel remorse for your actions?' the other asked him softly._

_He nodded tearfully. 'I...never meant...for this to go so far.'_

_ 'Understandable,' the boy said, and it sounded as though he really did understand. 'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'_

_A dark fog suddenly clouded his mind, numbing his senses and wiping the horrendous crime he had committed free from his mind. Before he fell into unconsciousness, one word passed from his lips._

_ 'Why?'_

_ 'Reprieve,' was the answer._

_He missed the dark shadow looming above the other, as well as the words it whispered. But the other heard._

_ 'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell little Darkness...'

* * *

_

Dark blue eyes opened slowly, blearily taking in his fuzzy surroundings and the fuzzy surroundings and the buzzing of indistinguishable sounds. Navy, almost black bangs fell over his eyes, shielding his vision. He shook his head as if to clear it, and the plain white ceiling of his hospital room came into view.

Lethargically, he attempted to sit up, only to find such movement restrained. Confused, he twisted slightly in his restraints as to take in more of his surroundings, seeing various machines hooked up to him and monitoring his heart rate, breathing patterns, blood pressure and various other things. An oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose, and the his body, save his face and neck, was covered by a plain white bed sheet.

'Ah...you're awake Koichi.'

A vaguely familiar doctor moved into his line of vision, and Koichi nodded, not being able to do much else, as the Doctor removed the restraints that bound him to the bed. Naturally, Koichi used the first moment of his freedom to attempt to sit up; a rather unsuccessful attempt as the Doctor prevented him from rising more than an inch with a vice-like grip on his shoulders.

'Don't try to move yet,' the Doctor said quietly, maintaining a strong grip.

Koichi attempted to speak through his oxygen mask, but was unable to make any sound other than a weak croak.

The Doctor heard however, and helped him sit before moving out of his field of vision, returning moments later with a cup of warm, honey tea. In his absence, Koichi had managed to remove the oxygen mask, and was now inspecting the IV needle inserted in his wrist. He looked up, startled, as the Doctor shoved the warm cup into his hands and briskly told him to drink up.

He did so, the warm liquid and honey mixture soothing his parched throat and waking him up, still wandering about his current situation. He was sure more than half of this equipment hadn't been attached to him when he had fallen asleep.

He finished the cup and looked up, finding the Doctor waiting patiently at the foot of the bed. Now that Koichi was more aware, he was able to recognise the other as one who had been in and out quite regularly since his accident. Doctor Kasai was his name. He was a nice doctor as well, letting Koichi's twin brother and friends stay with him past visiting hours.

He seemed slightly apprehensive right now though; slightly nervous. As if he knew what the other had tried to ask; what he will ask again as soon as the opportunity presented himself, and regretted being the one that would have to inform him of the current...situation.

Looking as Doctor Kasai, Koichi could tell it was bad news, and wisely chose to refrain himself from asking until he was in a better condition. Already he could feel fatigue settling into his limbs, and the gentle lull of sleep, as though his energy had been somehow drained, but fought against it tiredly as the Doctor spoke again.

'I'll let your brother and his friends in now,' he said. 'If that's okay with you, before they drive the nurses insane.'

Koichi chuckled weakly and nodded his assent, and the Doctor left.

* * *

Doctor Kasai walked down the hallway after leaving the room of his latest patient, Koichi Kimura.

He was different from any other patient he had ever treated. It was though he had gained a lifetime between the time his heart had stopped beating, and the time it had restarted. It had truly been a miracle, seeing the boy dead one second, then alive and speaking the next. By the time the kids had burst into the emergency room, the doctors had given up all hope of reviving him.

And the boy's brother and friends seemed to play a large role in that. They had been vital in his recovery as well. Many times he had walked into the plain hospital room to find the laughter of the six children bringing life into it.

In fact, Koichi would have been released today, if it hadn't been for another near death escape the previous night.

And Koichi having no recollection of it? That much was obvious by his confused expression. All in all, it wasn't a good sign.

* * *

'Koichi!' Takuya bounced into the small hospital room (literally), Koji right behind him.

'Calm down Takuya,' he scolded lightly, hiding his concern with his usual smirk and going over to his brother. The others trailed in as Takuya chattered on about how the nurses at the reception wouldn't let him in.

'What happened Koichi?' Koji asked softly, and even Takuya stopped talking to hear the answer.

'I don't know,' he croaked out tiredly. 'I just woke up feeling really tired and with a sore throat.'

Koji frowned at the rawness of his voice, as well as his slightly fatigued appearance and uninformative answer. 'Are you alright?'

'Yeah,' he mumbled. 'Fine.'

Koji still didn't look convinced, and opened his mouth to protest, only to be punched light on the shoulder by Takuya.

'Stop being so overprotective Koji,' he chided playfully. 'He's the older brother.'

'Tacky, Koji,' Zoe giggled as Koji opened his mouth to retaliate. 'We don't want to waste visiting hours watching you two fight.'

* * *

'So, did you guys see the news this morning,' JP asked awhile later, once they had exhausted all 'interesting' topics, and Koichi was feeling decisively better than before.

'Nope.' The other five shook their heads. 'Why? Anything interesting?'

JP nodded. 'Some guy was murdered in his apartment last night. Arteries and veins completely sliced open.'

Koichi stopped listening. The beeping of various monitors surrounding the bed increased slightly in intensity, but no-one noticed. Photograph-like images flashed through his mind.

_The smell of blood..._

_...splattered on the walls._

_A butcher's knife, coated in blood..._

_The bloodied, mutilated body, arteries and veins slashed open..._

'... they haven't found who did it yet.' JP's voice sounded so far away, but somehow still managed to pierce his mind. 'A witness was rambling on about some blue eyed kid though...'

'_Sleep free of guilt..._

_Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight..._

_Repraive...'_

'_Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...'

* * *

_

'A kid?' Tommy asked. 'What type of kid would murder a full grown man? Or even try to?'

'A seriously messed up one.' JP shrugged. 'He might not even have had anything to do with it. The police are looking into it though.'

'Well, you had better be careful then Koji,' Takuya teased. 'The next thing you know, the police'll be after ya.'

'What?!' Koji exclaimed, sounding indignant.

'Well, I have to say, Tacky's got a point for once,' Zoe shrugged, playing along. 'How many other blue-eyed kids do you know that could take on a fully grown man?'

Koji looked at JP for help, who just stifled a laugh behind his hand. He didn't bother turning to Tommy, knowing that the younger boy will side with Takuya, which only left... "Koichi, back me up here!'

Receiving no response, he turned. 'Koichi?...KOICHI?!'


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

Sorry for the long wait. Didn't originally intend to continue it, since I hadn't developed the plot. Plot is still developing, but is now mostly developed, so here is the next chapter, and I hope it clears things up a bit. If not, feel free to ask, and I'll try and get back to you.

I just want to let you all know that I most likely will not be updating any of my stories again till after the twenty-first of May, which is when my Arabic IB exams are. I apologize for that, but schoolwork comes first, and it is the finals, though why Arabic is in May while every other subject is in November is always beyond me.

Shukr al-laqum wa ilā l-liqā'(Thank you all and so long/until next time)

* * *

**Bloodstained Night**

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Coming out of a mental shock of high degree is a slow and rather painful process, as Koichi found out first hand upon waking the following morning. The first thing he noticed was a splitting headache, caused by the shock and only intensified by the head injury he had obtained earlier that week. Due to this, it took a while for his muddled senses to pick up the deviation of his surroundings from his semi-dream like state.

The next thing he noticed was the hospital lighting burning through his closed eyelids.

Whimpering slightly, he attempted to shift away, only to encounter a sharp pain in his arm, which jolted him into a slightly higher state of awareness.

The hospital lights dimmed slightly in intensity and Koichi hesitantly opened his eyes, only to be met with a swirl of light and colour, predominantly white and baby blue, accompanied with the buzzing of indistinguishable sounds, drowned out as though water blocked his ears.

He blinked and shook his head, trying to somewhat align his muddled senses. Blocking out the more insignificant stimuli, he focused on the images he had last seen; the blood, the death, and the darkness…

'Koichi?'

He didn't reply, still more than a little confused, only this time he retained the memory of what had occurred. But he was still no closer to understanding…

'Mr Kimura?!'

Another voice, more insistent. Too insistent to ignore, achieving his purpose of snapping the patient out of his revive, and directing the confusion outward instead.

'Oh, be nice.' The first voice chided. 'He's just a child.'

'How cute,' a third voice, this time female, cooed. 'He's got the dear "caught-in-the-headlights" look.'

The other two figures turned at that, seeing that Koichi was indeed staring at them, with confused, slightly glazed blue eyes.

'What's wrong with me?' he asked quietly, his voice sounding far away to him, as though, it could be drowned out by the dropping of a pin in the relative silence.

The three doctors looked at each other, and then back at him.

'We were hoping you could tell us that,' the first doctor said kindly. 'Perhaps starting with your dream?'

'…my dream?' he questioned softly, so softly, that the doctors had to strain to hear his words.

The doctor replied in the affirmative and awaited a response from the patient. He, however was silent for so long that the three assumed that he either had not heard them, or was not in a condition to respond, when he finally spoke. In that same far away voice, almost as if in a semi-trance-like state, he related the details of his dream…or nightmare, of vision of sorts.

The trio stared at each other in confusion once more, after the boy had finished his recollections. Not once in their career had they ever come across a situation such as this. How was it possible for him to know…no physically see the aftermath of the murder mere minutes after it occurred in the home of a chief executive officer, while he was in a hospital bed in Shibuya?

It wasn't likely that it was a simple dream; the recount of it had been far too detailed. But it wouldn't hurt to check the facts and so the doctors exited, leaving the patient staring blankly at the white walls once more.

* * *

It was a very tense atmosphere in the hospital waiting room that morning. Not only due to Koichi's condition, but also due to the ashes of the divorce aroused by Tomoko Kimura and Kousei Minamoto being in the same room after parting ten years previously on not-the-best terms.

Of the children, only Koji was absent from the room …understandably, as it wasn't the best circumstance to first meet his birthmother. After believing for ten years she was dead. Coupled with his difficulty in facing his father after finding out he had lied about such a thing and the prospect of losing a twin brother he had been forced to live without most of his life for the third time in less than a week, the resulting emotional toll had led him to temporarily isolate himself to avoid any actions or words he would later regret.

The other four sat in silence, as well as Yutaka Himi, who was accompanying his younger brother. The two adults were yet to speak to one another, or even acknowledge the other's existence, and the tension in the room was about to reach its breaking point, when the three doctors who were previously with Koichi stepped in.

'Ms Kimura, Mr Minamoto,' the first doctor looked towards the addressed. 'May we,' gesturing at the other two doctors and himself, 'have a word with you?'

The addressed nodded, deliberately avoiding eye contact with one another and followed him out, the other male trailing behind them.

'You may go and see your friend now, the female said to the five remaining. 'His brother is with him. Found him wandering around the hallways, the poor dear…'

She let her voice trail off, before shaking her head lightly and following her colleagues.

'You think we should?'

'Nah, let's give the two brothers some time alone first.'

* * *

Koichi was sitting up, but still staring blankly at the wall when his brother walked in.

'Hey bro,' the younger twin greeted, taking a seat beside the bed,

'Hey...' He glanced briefly at the other, before averting his gaze, drawing his knees up to his chest and laying his head on them.

Alone with his brother, he had no need to hide his emotions behind the mask he usually adorned. And so Koji frowned, extending his hand to grip his brother's, only for the other to draw his own back. 'What's wrong Koichi?'

'...nothing's wrong.'

He sighed. 'Koichi, the last time you said that, I almost lost you.'

Koichi didn't move.

'Remember what I told you after Lucemon blasted the moon to bits?' he pressed on. 'I know you're hurting Koichi. But I can't help unless you tell me what's wrong.'

Silence.

'Please,' he pleaded.

The shorter haired twin shivered slightly, drawing his knees even closer to his chest, and wrapping his arms around them tightly, mumbling something into the blankets,

'What?' Koji asked, expecting some sort of reply.

Koichi lifted his head slightly, enough so that the sheets did not muffle his voice. 'Are you afraid of death?' he asked instead, his voice still distant, and quiet, although audible due to the lack of any external source of noise.

Koji started at the unexpected question. 'Well...I guess. I never really thought about it.'

Koichi nodded vaguely, loosening his grip and allowing his head to rest on the wall instead. 'Think you'll be happy?'

'Happy when?'

'In death.'

Now Koji was just staring at his brother. 'Why are you asking?' he breathed, concerned as to where his brother's trains of thought were leading.

He didn't answer. 'There's nothing,' he said instead. 'After death. No pain, no suffering...' his voice wavered as his thoughts drifted into undesirable areas; the unknown he now knew, but wished he didn't. Tears tickled painfully at the edge of his vision, before trailing down his cheeks, marking their path with moisture.

Koji stood, seating himself instead on the bed beside his brother, one hand gently cupping the other's chin while the other hand came up to brush the salty water particles away.

Koichi suddenly threw himself into his brother's lap, arms wrapping gently around the other's waist, and peering through his bangs at the other's eyes with his own tear-filled ones.

The younger twin rubbed the other's back soothingly, this time simply waiting patiently. He had gone as far as he could. If his brother wanted him to know, he would tell him, in time. All he had to do was wait. And hope he wouldn't have to wait too long.

Luckily, he didn't.

Koichi lifted his head slightly from where he had buried it into Koji's stomach, the yellow shirt now slightly moist with unshed tears. And softly, hesitantly, he began to explain.

'When I fell,' he started. 'It was different. It was a strange world...a foreign one. And I was alone. A lost spirit. But I could feel it all, the happiness, just beyond my grasp. The sadness, which I was powerless to change. The anger, and the betrayal...'

It was redundant, as Koji already knew. He had told him before. But still, Koji did not interrupt, and if he was surprised at the other's sudden willingness to confide in him about the subject that he had avoided for as long as he had known him, he didn't show it.

'That second time' Koichi continued, ' was different. When he...Lucemon...scanned my data...it was different. There was everything...and then nothing, a void. That, I think, was true death. I wasn't quite...dead, something...a light of some sort, was pulling be back. And I could see others too, souls trapped between pain and death, begging for a release from their suffering.'

His grip tightened on the back of Koji's jacket. 'They were screaming Koji,' he choked, tears rising from his throat. 'Begging death to release them from their suffering. And something did...to one of them. I saw...some dark shadow...it possessed a man...made him kill...'

He cut himself off, hiccupping slightly, before burying his head into his brother's stomach once more.

They were both silent for a while, Koichi attempting to recollect himself, and Koji processing the broken pieces of information.

'Don't tell anyone else,' Koichi whispered eventually, pulling away from the embrace, before lying down, resting his head on the pillow and shifting so that the needle inserted in his arm and pumping some sort of medication, which medication, he wasn't too sure, wasn't piercing his skin more than it needed to.

'Why?' Koji asked, standing to give his brother room, and trying in vain to keep the worry out of his voice.

'You're worried,' the other stated bluntly, closing his eyes. 'You tell anyone else, they'll worry too. Especially Mama...' his voice trailed off.

'Koichi...'

He opened his eyes again and smiled tiredly at his brother. 'Don't worry brother,' he mumbled. 'Everything will work out.'

His eyes fluttered closed once more, and his breathing evened out. Koji, smiling at the peaceful look on the face near identical to his own in sleep, pulled the covers over him, before taking his previous seat next to the bed, just as the door opened.

He twisted slightly, seeing Takuya poke his head in from the hallway. Quickly, he shushed the other, pointing at the sleeping Koichi.

Quiet murmurs outside. Presumably Takuya relaying the message, and then the others came in, silently as not to awaken the elder twin and suffer the younger twin's wrath. Tommy and Zoe took the two remaining seats, and the other's remained standing.

'You know what's going on?' Takuya whispered quietly to the younger twin.

Koji frowned slightly, this time covering it with his usual indifferent look, thinking of all his brother had said. Koichi didn't want the other's to know, but was silence the best course of action in a situation such as this?

He didn't know.

Perhaps, for now, he will abide by Koichi's wish. But should things get worse, then he just might have to tell someone else, even if he was betraying his brother's trust.

But for now...

'No,' he said softly, gazing at his brother's peaceful face. 'I don't.'

Not that either of them really did.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes**

Sorry for the late update. This chapter was just hard to write up. And it was more of a filler too.

This has (finally) been planned, and is nine chapters long. So the end of this chapter marks the end of the first third.

BTW, the Joe in here is not the same one from Digimon Adventure or Zero Two. I just needed a name and that was the first one to pop into my head. So I just went with it. Same goes with the other names.

And guess what? Previews again.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Digimon or any of its characters. I do own the three doctors though, though not Joe's name.

So sorry once again for the late update, and enjoy.

* * *

**Bloodstained Night**

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

**Chapter 3**

In a darkened room, a young lady wailed in grief over the passing of her husband. Her tears stained the pillow she clutched in her carefully manicured hands, and the clothes she wore, rather ostentatious as was the rest of the house, were crumpled from the many hours spent in her position.

They had been so happy together, and newly married too. He was successful, a well-known businessman, and so his proposal to her had been a dream come true. He showed her with affection, and she with love, and while she danced merrily like a princess and spent like a little skylark, she never considered that perhaps her husband was not nearly as happy as she. It was, in fact, more than probable, as he recently spent late nights working, while she amused herself with her lady friends.

She had never known her husband had taken to indulging himself in alcohol, nor had she known the consequences of his drunken actions in hurting another, the retribution of which was in the end, his own life.

Not that he minded, had he been alive to say so. At times, despite his financial success, he would sink into the pits of depression, and while his heart cried out in sorrow and anguish for a release from the chains that bound him in his position (after all, he could only be and do what others expected of him), he would wonder the worth of it all.

And then he would laugh drunkenly and accept there was none.

Pointless…all pointless, and yet he was forced, because of his parents, friends of the family, those from higher up…they had shaped and moulded him into what he was. And his wife was the same, in her own way. From childhood he was stifled; after all, the son of one of the finest and richest shareholders in Japan had to be perfect.

But she, in her childish dreams, had failed to notice all that.

She believed herself to be in love. And so she cried. Cried for the loss of her fantasy life, which like all fantasies, had been crushed by a single twist of fate.

Her fruitless tears exhausted her, and soon she fell asleep, her grip loosening on the pillow she clutched close to her chest. Such deep sleep, that she failed to notice the faint wisp of darkness that tricked over her eyes, just as she failed to hear the voice which whispered in her ears.

_Forget your grief. Forget your sorrow. Go back to the fruitless dreams you used to chase, because all it does is hold others back._

And even as she awoke the following morning, her pillow hardened from the dried salty moisture, she could not remember the genuine sadness which had touched her heart the night before, nor the tears she had wept, or even for who.

It was as if he had never existed. For all memories of him had been wiped clear.

* * *

'Hmm...' Superintendent Iwata muttered, shuffling through some papers on his desk. 'Everything's in such a mess.'

He turned suddenly at a knock on his door. 'Come in,' he called, before turning his attention back to his desk and the mess on it, before giving it up as a lost cause.

The section 4 chief of the Criminal Investigation Bureau which Iwata headed entered the room. 'There seems to be some confusion sir,' he began. 'It seems as though we have a suspect in custody, yet the details for the crime he was alleged to have committed are so vague that it is impossible to draw any conclusions. He claims to be guilty, while at the same time he is unable to recall what he did.'

The Superintendent looked up, surprised. 'Evidence?'

The chief shrugged helplessly. 'Everything's such a mess. Paperwork, the memories of the officers on duty who originally took him into custody...must be the stress and overwork.'

'Must be,' Iwata admitted, gazing at the papers which littered his own table. 'Let him go. How can you contain someone when no-one knows that they're being contained for?'

He saluted. 'Yes sir.'

He spun on his heel and exited, the Superintendent turning back to his desk and trying to straighten it. Moments later, the memory was obliterated from his mind.

* * *

'I'm afraid we just don't know anything at this stage,' the only female doctor in the room, Mizuki Honada sighed, staring between the two adults who were determinedly ignoring one another, despite their concern. While that was perfectly fine when the two were separated by half a district, it was simply adding to the tension in the small consultation room, especially since only a few inches of air separated the seats of the divorced pair. The female doctor was seated behind the desk, while one of the males, a recent graduate whose name was Joe Kido, hovered behind her, flicking through his notes for something. The third, Kasai Inotsumo, had since completed his shift and left.

'This circumstance is rather...unusual,' she continued. 'While it is not uncommon to have rather disturbing nightmares, it is rare for one to go into a sudden cardiac arrest because of one, or to be able to recount it in the detail that he did. Even more so as he seemed mostly detached from his own recount.'

'So, is there anything you can do?' Tomoko asked softly.

The female doctor shook her head, red bangs falling over her eyes before she brushed them away. 'In cases where patients are prone to nightmares that keep them from rest, sleeping pills are found to be helpful, and many times, they just need to talk to someone their own age when they're ready to. It's one of those things where someone pushing for answers would hurt him more than help him, especially if he is someone who by nature keeps things to himself.'

'He is,' said patient's mother agreed softly. 'He never wants anyone to worry about him, so he just keeps quiet...most of the time, I never know when there is something wrong...'

Kousei glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, but avoided saying anything. After all, despite their agreements about parenting, they both loved their children, the one who grew up with them as well as the one who did not. It was partially out of their hands due to the Japanese law, divorced children split up were, legally speaking, not allowed contact, and at the time, neither parent tolerated their own emotions enough to take the matter to court to abolish that restriction, and so they simply found it easier for their sons to forget one another.

With the time that had passed, and seeing as both sons now knew the truth, things were accustomed to a change. And while the feelings that separated the two had by no means faded, they had lowered to a point where they could at least tolerate the other's presence enough for the wellbeing of both their children.

Verbal communication was far easier without visual contact, so the two, when they needed to converse over the past few days over the issue, had talked through phone conversations, organising dates, times, a lawyer and payment as they attempted to revoke the restrictions to allow the twins to remain in contact.

The elder's accident and hospitalisation had in the end turned the tides in their favour, and the matter was now solved, meaning that the twins were free to see each other whenever they wished. Since Koichi was still in the hospital, for the moment it meant that Koji could visit without fear from the law, despite the fact that that had not prevented him in the past. After his release, the two would be free to visit whenever they chose, and both parents, as well as Satomi, had agreed to let them trade off weekends at each parent's house.

And somehow, they had managed to get through all that with civility.

Besides that, face to face meetings were still rather awkward, and extra care was always taken to avoid conflict, generally resulting in silence which by far made the situation far more uncomfortable than it strictly had to be.

Not to mention the situation, while appearing not that threatening, gave them all a rather ill sentiment.

'As it stands,' Joe continued, giving up on whatever he had been looking for, 'there is no reason to keep Koichi here so long as nothing happens tonight. So we will just keep him for surveillance, and if nothing more happens, he will be released by tomorrow afternoon.'

Then, in an undertone to his co-worker, he muttered: 'Ma'am, I think some of our notes are missing, there are too many gaps in what we jotted down from the last visit...'

The parents, seeing themselves dismissed, left separately.

* * *

As it was, nothing had happened during the night, though the hospital staff were unaware of the fact that Koichi, although his eyes were closed, had been in more of a semi-conscious state than sleep as its normal definition. Despite that, his readings had been normal the following morning, and with no alerts during the night, the hospital, as planned, released him that afternoon with a medical certificate excusing him from the next week of school and prescribed sleeping pills should any nightmares or bouts of insomnia persist (as the two usually occurred consequently).

That night found Koichi staring blankly at his ceiling, unwilling to fall asleep even with the lack thereof the previous night. The less than restful nights (and days) were beginning to catch up to him, but as his days were mostly spent by as he was now, it wasn't to such an extent where it was obvious.

But the lack of rest was still accumulating, and despite his inhibitions, he felt himself drifting into a state of unconsciousness as his exhausted mind begged for a release even as the more irrational, or perhaps the more rational, part, protested.

The exhaustion was overwhelming, and in the end, he slipped into a state of sleep.

But while in most cases it would be a release from the problems of the day, in his case, it simply amplified them.

* * *

_'Help...'_

_ '...darkness...release us from our suffering...'_

_ '...pain...hurt...suffering...'_

_ '...be their reprieve little darkness...'_

His eyes shot open to the dim twilight darkness, heart pulsating rapidly even as he attempted to placate hit, one hand resting on his chest while he panted heavily. Instantly, he fought against the innate action, consciously lowering his breathing rate and forcing himself to calm down.

_It's just a nightmare,_ he berated himself mentally. _It isn't real. It can't do anything._

But even as he tried to convince himself otherwise, he knew it wasn't true, and all he was really doing was lying to himself.

He closed his eyes again, but the voices just echoed in his head, and he found them opening again. Lightly, he shook. Not overly so as it escaped his knowledge, but still the minute tremors wracked his thin frame as he trembled slightly in fear of what he had heard...and felt, as though some sort of group empathy, the pain of which they complained was his when he slept.

He stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, but the darkness unnerved him, despite it being his element. While in any other situation, he would have found comfort in it, he found now that it only amplified it all...

Giving natural reprieve up as a lost cause, he gently eased himself out from under the covers and stood. In the faint moonlight and his sharp night vision, he had no trouble locating the object of his search, the small pill bottle his mother had left on the dresser.

He didn't particularly like having to resort to medication, much less sleep-inducing ones, but he needed the sleep, and more importantly, to him anyway, he didn't want anyone else worrying. And another sleepless night would most certainly show in his behaviour, if not his physique. Koji was concerned as it was, and his mother had enough to worry about.

He sighed noiselessly and cracked open the seal, before unscrewing the cap and taking out a small, white pill. For a moment, it just lay on his palm, glistening slightly in the moonlight while Koichi marvelled at the irony of the small speck of light in the vast darkness, before he swallowed the pill and settled himself between the sheets once more.

He found himself fighting instinct as to not fight off the sudden, overwhelming haze that covered his mind, but he soon pushed that aside at let his eyes slip closed once more.

The pills were quick acting, and a few minutes was all it took for him to fall into a dreamless sleep, but still, even as the last remnants of his waking conscience fell into a temporary dormancy, he heard a voice, familiar and yet not, echoing in his mind.

'_You can't fight fate...your destiny has already been set in stone...'

* * *

_

_**Preview for the next chapter:**_

'_I don't matter to them. After all, all I am is someone who's always in the way.'_

'_That's not true...'_

_But the whimpered statement was lost on the other boy._

_However, someone, or something else, had heard._

_ 'But I can't do anything,' the boy moaned, head in his hands even as the dark mist wafted around the two who stood in the deepening blackness. 'Like a spider caught in its own web...'_

_ 'You can.' Both boys started, as it seemed to one that neither had said that. The one standing moved, as if his body, and mind, was out of his control. Half awake, half aware, he could do nothing even as he neared the other, bending down to whisper in his ear, all while the darkness billowed around them._

_ 'All you have to do is let go...'_


	4. Chapter 4

School rundown. Kouichi goes to one school. Kouji and Takuya go to another one (smaller than Kouichi's, so I guess at least semi-private). Izumi to another one (private girls only). Junpei is in high school, his school next to Tomoki's one. So Kouji and Takuya are the only two who go to the same school.

And that's the second time I've put Kouichi in French class.

**Disclaimer: **Do I have to go through this every time? I don't own Digimon or any of its characters. There. Though I do own Hitan Kanashimi: the silver haired, brown eyed kid.

So read and enjoy.

* * *

**Bloodstained Night**

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

**Chapter 4**

It was always awkward returning to a place after a long period of absence, and school was no different, which was how Koichi found himself feeling upon his first day back at school after the accident. It was especially awkward when you find yourself in the centre of attention after passing years as more of a ghost than an active student. In fact, the only time he ever came to the school's attention was when it came to awarding credentials for graduating into the next year. And of course he passed with flying colours. And was, for the large part, forgotten again, save by those classmates he interacted with on a daily basis.

However, despite the large size, word spread rather quickly at the elementary school he attended, so many knew about his fall at Shibuya Station, his reunion with the other half of his family, and the court case in which his parents had set aside their differences for the happiness and wellbeing of their sons. Though Koichi was thankful that they didn't know anything further than that. That the Digital World, and everything else, remained a secret except to those whom it concerned. And even then, none of them knew it all.

Regardless, on his first day back at school, Koichi found himself in the centre of attention, and rather uncomfortable. Until of course their second period teacher decided to spring an unexpected project upon them which succeeded in switching the topic of discussion to the unfairness of it all.

Which said boy was extremely grateful for. Till he discovered how much work he had missed during his absence, and he spent the rest of the time till lunch attempting to fill the gaps in his knowledge enough to be able to understand the task assigned.

* * *

Lunch break eventually rolled around, and after Koichi had tracked down his teachers and collected the work he had missed, he settled himself into a corner of the school courtyard with his English novel on his lap, held down by his elbows and three homemade triangular onigiris spread upon its wrapper in front of him, the forth in his right hand as he slowly nibbled a corner off, his blue eyes skimming over the text.

He was minutely surprised, and a bit unnerved, to see how quickly things had settled down. It was an old school, public, and with a large population of students attending. As such, most people remained anonymous despite interaction, the only people one knew by name were the teachers that taught them, the students they interacted with on a daily basis (the number varying from subject selections and the sociability of the select individual) and the school board should they have committed, or found themselves involved in, a serious offence against the school or one of its persona.

Even within groups of friends, there was anonymity; every person was faceless, nameless, even as they possessed both. Like shadows, or ghosts, passing through elementary school and then mostly forgotten lest something you achieved was substantial, which rarely occurred, and when did, was rarely something to be proud of.

It was the sort of thing one didn't notice until something opened their eyes, from which point it became so blaringly obvious that one had to wonder how they could have possibly missed it before.

And how everybody else could be so blind.

When people hurt, rarely someone noticed, and even when one did, it was usually passed over and then forgotten. When something interesting occurred to spark the flame, students talked for awhile: a couple of periods, a day, two at most, before things fall back into their normal mundane routine.

The bell sounded, as it always did, after a half hour had passed, and students, bunched in various groups in the school courtyard, the library, or else alone, flocked down the halls to their lockers, and then their respective classes. Koichi collected his own things, before standing and allowing himself to be swept by the throng.

It was far easier than fighting the majority. And he needed to go in the same direction in any case.

* * *

Period six found the sixth graders on the receiving end of another project, this time an interim one. Thus, after the traditional chorus of groans and explanation, they were split into pairs to discuss the preliminary stages.

The pairs had been pre-assigned, as was normal, and randomly allocated, and the teacher worked her way down the roll in reading them out. Those students who had not been paired were listening keenly so as to not miss their partner's name and ensure the resulting embarrassment.

Which tended to happen quite often, usually involving a certain brunette who had a habit of sleeping through important announcements.

'Hitan Kanashimi,' the greying man, about fifty years old and nearing retirement, read out. 'You'll be working with Koichi Kimura.'

All things considered, Koichi hadn't found that match-up too bad. He was with someone he knew, and got along with reasonably well, though they had a habit of finding themselves in discussions that made the dark haired boy, along with anyone listening, quite uncomfortable, mostly because of the ease at which the silver haired one discoursed in such situations. But their teamwork usually went without any hitches, and it was far more comfortable working with someone familiar than someone not.

After all, the brown eyed boy was one of the few he conversed with on a semi-regular basis.

* * *

'Any ideas?' Hitan asked his classmate, notebook open on his lap and pencil deftly balanced between two fingers. He sat cross-legged, his back against the wall, while Koichi sat with his own legs folded beneath him, their shared notes spread out between them.

'Hmm...someone international?' the other suggested.

'Good point. Most people are sticking to local people.'

The two looked over the papers spread between them again, skimming through pages talking about feudal Japan, the Shanghai war, the building of the Great Wall in China and much else besides. However, they were all rather common topics, and suited neither of their tastes. After all, with the amount of effort required on an interim report, one did not want to be stuck with doing something that was not at least marginally enjoyable, and that included the partner as well as the topic and choice of presentation.

'Vincent van Gogh?' Koichi asked after a moment, finding something on the post-impressionism period. The other boy leaned over to read the extract, his brown eyes, icy cold on the exterior yet hiding emotion beneath, flew over the lines.

'Yeah,' the silverette agreed, jotting it down. 'That would work. You were here when we covered the post-impressionism period?'

The other nodded, then muttered something in French.

'Excuse me?' he asked, not understanding the jargon which came out his partner's mouth as he took German instead.

Koichi gestured towards the end of the page. 'La tristesse durera toujours,' he reiterated. 'The sadness will last forever.'

The other nodded, this time understanding. 'The last words he said.' He paused there, studying the other's face as the blue bangs partially fell over his eyes. 'You disagree?'

Koichi made a jerking motion, halfway between a restrained nod and a shrug. 'Most people do,' he said, not really answering the question. 'They see death as its release.'

'That's true,' the other mused, in a way that told the other he was a part of the majority. 'Most rather death than to suffer through the pain...'

_Death, the darkness that is the release of pain and suffering, sadness and doubt..._

Koichi jerked slightly, hearing the thought echo in his head, and opened his mouth to say something, but then the bell sounded, the words dying on his lips.

* * *

'Koji, want to play soccer?'

'No.'

'Please?'

'No.'

'With a cherry on top?'

'How many times do I have to say it? No!'

'Once more would suffice.'

Koji rolled his eyes at Takuya's Cheshire grin, a slight frown on his lips. 'Fine,' he said flatly. 'No.'

'Are you-'

'You said once more would suffice,' the bandana wearing boy smoothly cut off.

He grinned sheepishly. 'I didn't exactly expect you to say no a fourth time,' the brunette admitted sheepishly, only to find his friend was not listening. 'Koji?'

No reply.

'Are you even listening to me buddy?'

Koji shook his head lightly, not hearing the other. 'Something feels wrong,' he murmured. 'It feels like something bad is about to happen.'

'Huh?' the confusion tumbled from the goggle-wearing boy's lips, only to turn into mild shock as the younger twin suddenly spun on his toes and took off in the direction of the train station.

'Koji!' he exclaimed, taking off after the slightly older boy. 'Get back here! Or at least wait up!'

'No time,' the other grunted as Takuya was forced to put on an extra burst of speed to catch up.

* * *

At the same time, Koichi Kimura was walking home from library after school, his backpack full with a week's worth slung over a shoulder. He thought it rather pointless to bring more, as it was highly improbable that he would get the time, or the mental resources, to be able to complete more over a single weekend. It was in fact, unlikely he could finish what he had brought, but that didn't mean he couldn't try and finish what he could.

It was normally a relatively smooth trek. One intersection, three turns, and apart from that, a straight road. The area he lived in was rather quiet at that time; the sun was beginning to set, the last rays of gold just visible on the horizon, so most of the people were hanging about the city, the park, working, or else in their homes.

He was the only pedestrian on the streets now, staying closer to the buildings so their shadows cloaked him in their comforting shroud. He normally enjoyed walking in the shade; it allowed him to lose himself in his daydreams and the books he immersed himself in after school.

It was extremely fortunate that he had been close to a wall, and alone at the time, as he suddenly found his vision blurring about halfway along the journey home. Pausing in his trek, he slipped against the wall, sighing softly at the cold bricks cooled him and reduced the ache as his head swam.

He closed his eyes, shifting slightly, till a scream suddenly shattered through the calming silence and forced his eyes open.

* * *

_He found himself standing in quite a dense fog of darkness, something that felt eerily familiar and eerily different at the same time. His first instinct was to bolt, as previous experience told him that this was all together not a very good situation to be in, but that was unfortunately an epic fail as he found his body out of his own command._

_As such, he was forced to remain where he was, eventually concluding it to be the darkness-covered interior of someone else's soul, the assumption based on the words which drifted up in the silence, and the appearance and aura of the hunched over figure uttering them._

_He listened, unable to say, or do anything, as the other belittled himself, away from the world where he was forced to wear the mask of normality and feign happiness while he drowned in its antonym. For awhile, all he could see, and hear, was the pain that the other kept inside, unnaturally amplified to the point where it was uncontrollable, nor reversible._

_The grip of darkness upon his soul was strong, too strong to be broken by anything save the darkness that bound it itself._

_And so he was forced to listen, while fighting the paralysis so that he could at least _do_ something, even if he was incapable of aid._

_After all, he was at the time ignorant of that knowledge, so although he was, in the grander scheme of things, fighting a losing battle, in his own sense, he was not._

'_I don't matter to them. After all, all I am is someone who's always in the way...'_

'_That's not true...' he managed to utter, finally loosening his tongue, though the effort cost him._

_But the whimpered statement was lost on the other boy._

_However, someone, or something else, had heard._

_'But I can't do anything,' the boy moaned, head in his hands even as the dark mist wafted around the two who stood in the deepening blackness. 'Like a spider caught in its own web...'_

_'You can.' Both boys started, as it seemed to one that neither had said that. The one standing moved, as if his body, and mind, was out of his control. Half awake, half aware, he could do nothing even as he neared the other, bending down to whisper in his ear, all while the darkness billowed around them._

_'All you have to do is let go...'_

* * *

'Gee Koji, what's the big rush?' Takuya complained, once the two were safely on board the train.

'I told you,' the other snapped. 'Something's wrong.'

'How do you know?' Innocent curiosity.

'Feel it,' was the grunted reply, far less than he would have received had he been anyone save Takuya Kanbara, (unless of course, he happened to be the other's dear brother).

'Okay, that's not too hard to believe considering everything that's happened,' he mused, remembering their adventures in the Digital World. 'But you'd better not be leading me on a wild goose chase!'

'Hn.' The other smirked slightly. 'I'll keep that in mind.'

* * *

_'All you have to do is let go...let go of the burden. Let me carry it in your stead. Let go of the burden...and let the darkness free you...'_

No! _the other yelled in his mind, fruitlessly as the one who it was directed to did not hear, and too late even if he had, as he had already agreed._

_'Yes...'_

_As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the ground supporting him vanished. Even as he was swallowed up by nothingness, and far beyond, the churning sea of blood he was oblivious to, he looked up to meet the other's eyes as the ocean, from red to blue, swallowed him in its grasp as he raised his hands and fell backwards, vanishing under the icy depths._

_For a moment, there was nothing but contentment, but then he blinked, and the magnitude of what was about to happen hit him like a ton of bricks, and the resulting pain that blossomed in his mind, and his heart, was enough to jerk him back into a state of semi-consciousness._

* * *

He blinked three times in rapid succession, succeeding in banishing the shadows from his vision. His head was still reeling with the sudden suppression and onslaught of what he had seen, coupled with the after-effects of what could, in terms of symptoms, come off as a rather vicious nightmare.

Then what he had seen, and the implications of it, washed over him, and he pushed away from the wall, intent on stopping it before it was too late. Only, the second he lost his support, he found his feet slipping from under him and suddenly in the hands of someone else.

'Wha-?' he gasped, craning his head back. 'Koji?'

Koji stared back in slight confusion, apparently having not expected his brother to fall into his arms, though he had expected his brother.

He opened his mouth to say, or ask something, only to be cut off as Koichi tore himself out of the younger twin's arms, seizing his wrist and dragging him across the road. Takuya, who had just stopped chasing the younger twin, was forced to take up his chase again as the elder twin led them through a few twists and turns to an unknown destination, to the other two at least. After all, Koichi knew where he was going to lead them.

'What's with you twins today?' Takuya complained, taking off after the twins, the road luckily being free from cars, as neither twin had looked both ways before crossing. 'Making me chase after you both?'

His complaint was borne on deaf ears.

* * *

It was only a few minutes later that they found themselves on a footbridge, but for Koichi, it felt like millennia. Panting from exertion, he clung to the railing to keep himself upright as the adrenaline left him, scanning the waters with panicked blue eyes as Koji caught his breath beside him, and Takuya behind.

His eyes widened as his eyes fell on the prone form, floating face down in the dark waters, the last rays of sunlight unable to reach them here. A small gasp escaped his lips, which made his brother's head snap up.

'Koichi, what is-oh.' He had seen what the other had, and as assumed by the half gasp behind the two, Takuya had as well.

Seeing as Koichi didn't appear to be in much of a position to help, his grip on the railing so tight that his knuckles had turned white, and even that not enough to quell his slight tremors, Takuya, being the stronger swimmer, ran off the bridge and jumped into the water.

'It's freezing!' he exclaimed, as Koji caught up with him on the ban, but wasted no more time in grabbing the still body and dragging him to shore, the younger twin helping pull the silver haired boy onto dry ground.

The boy was unfamiliar to them both, though he was the same age. His skin seemed naturally pale, though far paler than usual and a little blue, and his clothes clung to him, dripping.

'Who is he?' Takuya asked, wringing the water out of his own clothes and shivering in the chill as Koji knelt down beside the prone form.

'Hitan Kanashimi,' Koichi's voice said from behind them.

'How do you-'

'Never mind that,' the younger twin interrupted, voice sharper than usual as it usually was when he was worried for a certain reason. 'Call an ambulance.'

* * *

_**Preview for the following chapter:**_

'_Why did you save me?' he asked hoarsely._

'_I didn't...'the other replied softly. 'It was Koji and Takuya who-'_

_He was cut off. 'But you showed them. Otherwise they would never have known.'_

_Silence. 'You have a gift. You can free those who suffer.' He pushed himself up into a seated position in the partially inclining bed. 'Why don't you?'_

_The warrior of darkness stiffened visibly. 'You can't ask this of me,' he whispered, voice almost drowned out by the steady beeping that filled the room._

_He flinched under the other's glare. 'You can't go back on your word now.'_

_Koichi shook his head. 'That wasn't me,' he denied, his voice weak._

'_Regardless,' the boy on the bed said. 'The onus is on you now.'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes**

This chapter tells a bit of what was missing from the first chapter and the last one. It's still disjointed, but that's just how it works. And I need to skedaddle now, so just enjoy, and sorry for the late update, which I think was more than three months ago. My bad there.

* * *

**Bloodstained Night**

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

**Chapter 5**

The monitors beeped steadily, carefully supervising the still body who lay beneath the machinery. Barely an inch from death when the paramedics had arrived at the scene, he now lay with an oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose, and the only one who he was on somewhat familiar terms pacing restlessly across the length of the room.

A few hours had passed since then, and sunset was nearing. Takuya and Koji, the second albeit reluctantly, had left for home awhile ago, after answering the routine questions with the routine 'I don't know' answer. Koichi told just a bit more, the name and a few personal details, but to the two who knew him well noticed he was holding back more information.

And it was that information that he was pondering about now.

Until a slight moan from the bed distracted him, and stopped the relentless pacing in its tracks.

Hitan sat up slightly, his mind momentarily whirling in a foggy confusion, still half-stuck in the barriers between death and life, till the memories, and the icy grip that clawed at his heart, overcame that.

'Why?'

The blue haired boy started at the question. 'Wha-?'

'Why did you save me?' he asked hoarsely.

'I didn't...'the other replied softly. 'It was Koji and Takuya who-'

He was cut off. 'But you showed them. Otherwise they would never have known.'

Silence. 'You have a gift. You can free those who suffer.' He pushed himself up into a seated position in the partially inclining bed. 'Why don't you?'

The warrior of darkness stiffened visibly. 'You can't ask this of me,' he whispered, voice almost drowned out by the steady beeping that filled the room.

He flinched under the other's glare. 'You can't go back on your word now.'

Koichi shook his head. 'That wasn't me,' he denied, his voice weak.

'Regardless,' the boy on the bed said. 'The onus is on you now.'

It wasn't him, but how could he, or anyone, even himself, truly believe that when all evidence and reason in reach fought against that. After all, behind the closure of his waking reality, he _had_ offered the other his reprieve, even if, strictly speaking, it was not him who had done so.

The situation itself defied every law of physics, even if that was more JP's forte than his own, being the team's specialist in scientific knowledge and computers, though that was really beside the point. But it was more something that happened in fiction than reality; dreams like prophecies and which felt like death itself was in control of all: him, the others...and everything else.

But it was impossible...wasn't it? How could simple dreams influence themselves on reality. And even more so, how could _he_ free those who asked for his aid in them; his own body and mind had moved beyond his command and itself done what no human had the capacity of doing.

After all, who could wipe the memories of death clear from mankind's past? Who could lead a death wisher to death's door, and bring another so close that his intervention alone had prevented the spirit straying too far?

As he thought, impossible...right?

If only things didn't seem so real...

* * *

_It was strange. The feeling that you body was far beyond your control. Like you are the puppet on the strings of the puppeteer, being forced through a sequence of events over which you have no control, and no awareness, till the time comes to face the consequences of them._

_Then for the controller to lift them from him and bestow the burden upon another, one who already, and perhaps unfairly, carried a laden burden upon his shoulders._

_The uncontrollable emotion: rage, anger, hurt...drowned in intoxication and desperation and desire...it was inevitable that pain would come out of it. But the burden was so easily removed, clouded in the darkness of an abstract past. And one uses the term lightly, as the past only exists in records, and in memories, so can one be sure that anything outside that exists at all?_

_Especially when darkness alone is bound to it, a minority in the majority who have been freed, or are to be. The lost souls who foolishly cry out, not knowing the pain they ask for, the pain they'll leave behind, yet begging for it all the same. And the dark energy within reach of his inching fingertips; all he had to do was reach out and grasp it, and use it, to free them all from the suffering of the worldly life and fully blacken his heart..._

_He felt it all, but the light in him would not allow it to be accepted. Every time he closed his eyes, bodiless voices cried out, to bestow freedom like he had once done, even while it had not been him who had done so. Voices that pleaded for the release he had granted two, then snatched back from one in his own reprieve. Every time, he saw the darkness before him, hovering just within reach..._

_And the power rushing through his fingertips again, itching, almost again beyond his control, to seize another soul and bestow that freedom again. To have one less craving release, to grant the illusion of happiness in nothingness._

_And every time the cloud of sleep wafted through his mind, he felt less and less in control. Of himself, his destiny, and other's too...like it was he, not the other from who the black strings had projected from, causing the butcher's knife to be stained with blood, or the other closer to him with the darkness billowing, that was the puppet under the puppeteer's strings.

* * *

_

He jerked suddenly, finding his hand stretching forward without his consent, yanking the disobedient limb back and stumbling a bit when balance with gravity was lost. The silence stretched, save the steady monotone of the various equipments that surrounded them.

'Remember the discussion we had?' the silverette asked eventually, startling Koichi out of his reminiscence.

'Which one?' the other asked, after a slight pause.

'You might not,' the first said thoughtfully, and not exactly answering the question. 'It was awhile ago. I said, should the opportunity come, I'd gladly take death's path, but for the most part, I lacked the courage to take it myself. You said you wouldn't take that path yourself, but if it came under the feet of someone else, you wouldn't deny them that. Do you remember?'

He did, only now that the other had mentioned it. 'You say I'm denying it to you now,' he noted. And in a way, he was. 'No-one would have found you in time if I hadn't known where to look.' Then in a softer tone, he murmured: 'I had forgotten...'

The other's stolid face melted slightly in the sadness of the other's gaze. 'You've changed,' he noted. 'Since you came back to school today, and how you were before. There is more that we haven't been told, isn't there?'

He shrugged, hiding his own unease. 'How much have you been told?'

'Just that you fell down the stairs at Shibuya station and was hospitalised.'

Koichi laughed at the brief account; really, it didn't even skim the edges, even excluding all that had happened in the Digital World. It was rather unlike him, and Hitan certainly noticed that, but as all it really did was validate the earlier statement, he didn't call the other out on it. Especially as there was nothing humorous, or joyous, about that laugh. Rather, it was bitter, desperate, and out of control.

'A lot more,' he stated after the laughter ended, and the oddity of such a reaction descended.

'And nothing you care to reiterate.'

'No.'

The brown eyed boy opened his mouth again, before the other cut him off. 'Enough,' he said, though not harshly. 'I know, you've told me before.'

'Then...' the other prompted.

'You can't take your own life away,' he whispered, barely audible, but enough so that the two who needed to hear did. 'So you're asking me to do it instead. But-'

He cut himself off, leaving the next statement unsaid. It seemed a weak argument in any case. Remembering Duskmon, and the lives he had cut short by his own sword. Remembering the times he almost killed his brother, and how easily he would have killed the others if it hadn't been for him.

The hand stretched out again. _I am already a murderer, _he thought, not noticing the darkness rising up behind him. _One more or less won't change that._

Blue eyes closed as the hand touched the other's cold cheek. _That's right...it won't change the taint my heart carries...but it will at least free him..._

And by the time that thought caught up with his conscience, it was too late.

* * *

A nurse was coming into the room, carrying a dinner tray along with a reminder that visiting time was over, however on arrival, she realised neither was really necessary. The only other in the room beside the patient almost crashed right into her on his way out, causing the woman to drop the tray and seize his arm instead, and the drawn out beeping told them both what neither wanted to hear.

A few, almost useless, condolences rose on her lips, and she uttered them without thought; it wasn't an altogether common situation, but it did happen every now and then and she had been working at her post long enough to realise it came with the territory.

And also long enough to know that nine times out of ten, said condolences didn't work, and as such, she didn't take it personally as the boy in her grip tore himself out and ran out the door, and straight past another who bore a strong resemblance to him.

Instead, she called for a doctor, who minutes after arrival, and following a brief examination, called the time of death.

* * *

'Koichi?' Koji blinked, watching his brother's retreating back and knowing that he would never catch him on foot. Instead, he wondered what had happened for a few minutes, though the second he stuck his head through the door, he had his answer.

'Time of death. 6:17pm,' muttered the doctor inside, noting something on his clipboard.

He quickly pulled his head back out.

* * *

He did eventually find his brother, staring out to the water at the very spot where they had found the other boy, seemingly lost in his own thoughts and glaring at his own reflection with a mixture of distaste and other unidentifiable emotions.

'Are you okay?' he checked, causing Koichi, who hadn't noticed him until then, to jump from shock.

'I'm fine,' the elder responded, but the flat reply told him he was anything _but _fine. He didn't call the other out on it though; it never got him anywhere, and if Koichi wanted him to know, he would eventually tell him in any case.

'Did you know him?' he asked instead. 'That boy?'

Koichi nodded. 'Classmate,' he replied, but didn't elaborate.

The silence wafted across the water for a moment, as both brothers shared the view, though in different ways. While for Koichi there was a cauldron of confusion and turmoil, for Koji there was only worry for him.

At the time though, there was nothing that could be said, so the next best thing was simply done, and the younger twin took the elder's hand and steered them both home.

* * *

_**Preview for the following Chapter:**_

_It was unnatural, that death itself could be so easily dismissed, and then forgotten. How people could turn a blind eye to the lessons of life only to have them wiped from existence, whether because they ignored it completely in the arrogance that they were faultless when indeed they all carried the blame, or whether they were too blinded by the superficialities of life to delve on the deeper meanings._

_But then, why did he remember, when no one else did. Hitan was one thing, one could even go so far as to call him a friend. But elsewise, he knew not of the others, save the vision of death granted to them. And the power upon his fingertips that had pulled the gasping soul free from its worldly confines and cast it into nothingness, then banished the occurrence thereof from the reality of all but his own, remained humming under his skin, dormant for know, but now and again reaching for another damned soul not beyond his reach._

_He'd given up on trying to convince himself that he was not to blame, that it was impossible to do such things as to bring the seekers of death to death's door then erase their one time existence so only one heart drowned while others were relieved of the pain and sorrows of the decaying world. The outlook dimmed, whatever optimism he once had was currently drowning, in his own recollections as he withdrew from his own world just enough to not raise worry to a painsickening height, and the fitful sleep that he could attain.  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes**

Just a time note, there's a bit of a skip since the last chapter. Actual amount's not important, and all the information you need to know about what happens in that time is mentioned in the following chapters.

By the way, the main explanations come in the next chapter and the following one, for those of you who are still confused. But that doesn't mean I don't want to hear those guesses! So bring 'em on! And cyber cookie for the first person who figures it out.

Enjoy if you're still reading this. Is anyone? *blinks, before looking through a telescope* Afraid I don't see anyone there...

* * *

**Bloodstained Night**

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

**Chapter 6**

He closed his eyes, before opening them blurrily with a resigned sigh. It was the middle of the night, about two or three in the morning judging from the utter blackness which showed behind the curtain which hung open by a hair's fracture, but sleep remained still beyond arm's length.

Sleep simply would not come to him, and indeed lately it had been rare and rather difficult to resign to the peace that called out for rest and restoration. Perhaps how closely it resembled death in its appearance; after all, many saw death as the next step of sleep. Perhaps he feared that darkness, the weight that accumulated on his heart as in his ears, more and more cries burned his ears...ha, that was rich, scared of his own element.

And yet he had feared it before, in the Digital World...

Or perhaps it was the voices which haunted him as soon as his mind fluttered into unconsciousness, bodiless, mindless, yet still possessing enough of a soul to cry out for release and regret it once the uncrossable line is crossed...

He sighed again, pulling himself up from the futon and standing up to pull the curtains aside, hoping to shed some light in the dark room.

Utterly hopeless, as the clouds shrouded the stars and there was no moon.

He let his arm fall limp, the curtain slipping back into its previous position as it did little to add to the general atmosphere of the room. There was the light, a bad idea for several reasons, and the weak lamp at his desk.

The lamp was probably the best option, when he wanted the darkness as far as possible. So a hand slithered over, and the dim light flickered on, a majority of it shining on four frames that rested on the desk as well, though it gave the rest of the room the appearance of a black-and-white movie.

But he wasn't looking at the photos. Not yet. His mind was on other things. Namely, what had happened since the fall down the stairs and the Digital World, and how he seemed to be the only one to remember the victims, if you could really call them that. After all, is it victim when choice is involved and given, but he knew better than anyone that once it becomes too late to withdraw such a decision does the impact fully hit.

And now he carried that weight...

_'Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight...'_

It was unnatural, that death itself could be so easily dismissed, and then forgotten. How people could turn a blind eye to the lessons of life only to have them wiped from existence, whether because they ignored it completely in the arrogance that they were faultless when indeed they all carried the blame, or whether they were too blinded by the superficialities of life to delve on the deeper meanings.

But then, why did he remember, when no one else did. Hitan was one thing, one could even go so far as to call him a friend. But elsewise, he knew not of the others, save the vision of death granted to him. And the power upon his fingertips that had pulled the gasping soul free from its worldly confines and cast it into nothingness, then banished the occurrence thereof from the reality of all but his own, remained humming under his skin, dormant for now, but now and again reaching for another damned soul not beyond his reach.

He'd given up on trying to convince himself that he was not to blame, that it was impossible to do such things as to bring the seekers of death to death's door then erase their one time existence so only one heart drowned while others were relieved of the pain and sorrows of the decaying world. The outlook dimmed, whatever optimism he once had was currently drowning, in his own recollections as he withdrew from his own world just enough to not raise worry to a painsickening height, and the fitful sleep that he could attain.

When he could.

He looked at the photographs in their frames. The first one was of his mother and grandmother, which Tomoko had placed there several years back, when nightmares and loneliness in waking kept him from rest. She knew his fear of being alone, being left behind, so she left the photo next to the night light to remind him that they would always be there.

The second photo was a more recent one of his grandmother, soon before her death, and added there soon after. There was another just like it, in the living room next to a vase, but this one showed the old woman still watching over him with her calm brown eyes, still there...

The other two were the newest, and both gifts. One was of the gang, taken by Yutaka, Tomoki's older brother, and framed by a family friend of JP's, once he had been released from the hospital and they could finally celebrate their victory, a constant reminder of their existence, and their bond...fashioned in the digital world and unbreakable.

The last was from Satomi, Koji's, their, stepmother. After a long round of explanations and awkward family scrimmages, along with a not so long court case as both sides were in agreement, the twins, though remaining in the custody of their respective parents, were allowed to meet and sleep over at each other's houses. Satomi had welcomed the new family members with open arms, easily bonding with Tomoko and holding no grudge against her for taking a part of Koji's heart but simply happy to have finally gained her own entitlement...and another son and almost-sister as well. She had arranged to have the photo taken, of all of them, including Tomoko and Kiba, Koji's dog, and had given a copy to him in the reminder that she too, and the rest, would be there for him as well.

Now they all stood in a slight semi-circle, ablaze with light and the only things in the room where vibrant colours were distinguishable. Symbolic of their presence in his heart.

Then the image wavered, and he remembered the weight upon it.

Eyes strayed around the room, searching for an escape from the darkness. All too soon his eyes fell upon the bottle of sleeping pills again.

It was less than half full, due to the constant use of them, and steadily increasing as the nights wore on. Though judging from the bangs under his eyes, they weren't functioning at their optimum, and by the listlessness and lack of appetite, that the side-effects were taking their toll.

His gut twisted at the mere sight of them, but he ignored it, shoving down the unpleasant sensation and twisting the cap, shaking two small pills into his hand before swallowing them with the glass of water he'd kept beside them.

And then he settled back into his futon and stared at the ceiling once more, waiting for the sedating effect to kick in.

* * *

He was awoken afterwards by an insistent knocking on the door.

'Koichi,' his mother called. 'It's time for school.'

Said boy shook his head in an attempt to banish the forming headache. He knew as well as anyone would that he was relying too much on the sleeping pills prescribed, and the consequences of such, the headache being far from the worst of them.

But he shoved it aside to reply to his mother. 'I'm coming Mama,' he called, careful to keep his voice even toned, though he knew his mother could see right through it.

And sure enough, she opened the door and invited herself him.

'Are you sure you're all right?' she asked him worriedly, taking a seat on his futon as her son sat up, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling his short-cropped hair. 'Is there anything you want to talk about?'

Koichi shook his head slowly, though it was an answer to her second question, not her first. He said nothing though, simply enjoying the warmth of his mother's embrace and the calming rhythm of gentle hands running through his hair.

Tomoko didn't push, knowing that her son didn't want to talk about. Instead, she simply planted a kiss on his forehead, before pulling them both up and giving the elder twin a soft push towards the bathroom.

'Get ready sweetie,' she said softly. 'I'll drive you.'

'Okay Mama,' he said obediently, and walked the rest of the way himself.

* * *

Their bathroom in the two room apartment was small, and didn't contain a shower stall as it was outside their economy, but it was clean, cosy, and had all the other essentials.

Normally, he liked it clean, but that day it just seemed a little...unnerving.

Nonetheless, he went through his normal morning rituals, and things went as they usually did, until he moved to turn the faucet off and dry his hands and face off on a towel...

* * *

A young girl huddled against an alley wall, futilely trying to curl up into the shadows and disappear from sight. Surrounding her were others, boys older than her, tougher than her, more fortunate than her...it wasn't fair. But life was far from fair.

And she wanted it to end, as her body trembled under the overstrain.

Their ugly faces still jeered at her helpless, pathetic form, gaining sick pleasure from it; there were many like them in the world, feeding of the poor and helpless, although in the end they fell prey to the torture they inflicted, whether physical or not, on their victims.

Her stomach growled and gnawed in hunger, accompanied by her teeth digging into the dry lips and drawing blood.

The boys laughed again, dropping a scrap of meat just out of reach, but she knew better than to lung for it...or rather, her mind did. Her body, unable to betray the prospect of food, reached for it, only for it to be kicked into the shadows by another foot.

'Aww,' one cooed sarcastically, evoking another round of hunger. 'The little girl's hungry.'

Not many looked for the alone and homeless; most saw them as wasting away without help. But perhaps those people are not entirely to blame. After all, the few who reach out are pushed away by the orphans they try to help, as though they are permanently set on a path towards the same death as their parents.

That is not to say that all are like that. Perhaps people in that particular community were more prone to running into that kind.

And like that, prejudice erects its barriers.

The girl whimpered as her dirty hand fell. _Take me away_, she begged, though she refrained from saying it out loud. _Take me to Mama and Papa..._

And then she stared as the boys vanished from view and were replaced with darkness, and another boy, younger, kinder, reaching out to her...

* * *

_'Do you want me to take you to your parents?' he asked softly, hand hovering next to her cheek. 'I can do that, if you want.'_

_ 'Could you?' she asked gratefully. 'I really want to see them again. But they're dead. So does that mean you'll kill me too?'_

_ 'Kill is so...cruel a word,' the boy said. 'It is done for nothing but sadistic pleasure, cutting the ties of life before they should. This is not killing. You are the one asking for freedom. I am only granting it. Though if you want to say it, you are killing yourself.'_

_ 'True,' she whispered. 'I can't be happy, with Mama and Papa dead. I just can't, until I'm dead too. But they suffered, they suffered so much, and now I do too. Why cant they be merciful and finish what they began and finish me too. I'm all but finished.' _

_ 'Do not worry,' the other reassured. 'Mercy is not the way of this world, but I can release your soul as it trashes and suffers here.'_

_ 'Can you really?'_

_ 'Yes. You hurt, and I have no right to deny you your chance.'_

_That last statement was directed not only to her, but to another who was forced to watch and follow as the strings were dragged across by the puppeteer._

_The darkness closed in, and the hand touched her cheek. For a moment, her eyes widened, as suddenly her soul was jerked loose, and she faced death while realising how horrible a mistake it had been to wish for it...and then her body slumped, soulless, as a seventh-grade boy suddenly walked into view at precisely the wrong moment._

_ 'Damn that boy...' a voice, the same that had previously spoken only with more malicious undertones, hissed in anger. It was unclear to whom he referred, but the shadows receded before any chance could be given to clarify.

* * *

_

JP liked early morning walks; he didn't really know why, nor did anyone else to be honest. It was one of those inexplicable yet interesting quirks about a person that made them unique, though there were a plenitude of people who enjoyed the private walks, even if few lived in his area making the hobby both unusual and profitable in a search for privacy.

Which is why he was strolling down the path covered with Sakura Blossoms dropped by the late Autumn wind, humming quietly to himself and only paying half a mind to where he went.

Which is why he only noted the scene he had stumbled upon a tad after those there noticed him, though his view was almost immediately disrupted by a group rushing past him in haste, swiftly enough to avoid detection of any sort of identification.

All he heard before that was someone cursing someone else, and all he saw was a shadowy figure hovering over the twisted body of a young, ragged girl...before that memory faded into the blissful unconsciousness that amnesia provided.

Though he still couldn't shrug off the feeling that he had seen something he shouldn't have...

* * *

Head spinning, Koichi managed to pick himself off the ground, before switching off the faucet before any more water was wasted.

What had happened? The girl, that poor little girl, that was one thing, but how had JP seen...

He paled suddenly, as he remembered exactly what the warrior of thunder had seen. That just made things that much worse. It was enough that he was somehow...'killing' for lack of a better term, even if for the life of him he could not figure any of them out except the incident with Hitan. But for one of his friends to have been so close...what if they were in harm's way? What if one of them died next...though he was fairly sure none of the five he had gone to the digital world with were anywhere near reaching that level of despair and hopelessness. He was sure they were all stronger than that.

But what if...things went downhill from there? What if, it was no longer souls who pleaded for release, even if some regretted at the moment it appeared too late to do so, or just before only for their plea for mercy to be ignored? What if-?

'Koichi?' Tomoko's voice sounded through the bathroom door. 'What are you doing in there. You're going to be late.'

He took a deep breath, slipped on the calm, poker expression which was becoming routine for him(along with khaki pants and a clean shirt after slipping off his pale blue pyjamas), and opened the door.

'I'm ready Mum,' he said, hiding his troubles from the world as best he could.

He supposed he was very lucky his mother brought it.

* * *

It was Saturday, which meant only half a day of school, which most were relieved for.

And that also meant that it was time for the Legendary Warriors normal get-together.

It took a while, what with everybody spread over two districts, but eventually they were settled rather comfortably under the blossoming Sakura trees of Zoe's school, the chosen location.

Which reminded JP, once the late afternoon brought with it a sudden burst of wind which dislodged the blossoms and made it rain pink, of what had happened earlier, and evidently (though not to the onlookers), Koichi too.

'You know,' he began, picking at a non-existent thread of conversation. 'I was walking in the morning-'

He was cut off by Takuya. 'You must be one of the few people on earth who wake up early just to take a walk,' he muttered, though good-naturedly and evoking laughs from the others, save JP who wasn't too happy at being interrupted, and Koichi, who shivered inexplicably to the onlookers.

The others had been sharp enough to notice that, including Koji who's eyebrows furrowed like they did when he was debating something, which was again picked up by all except Koichi.

But no-one acted on it then, and Takuya gestured for JP to continue.

'I was walking,' he continued, glancing pointedly at the goggle-headed leader before continuing. 'And I came across something weird. It's all foggy now, I can't really remember what I saw, but I kept getting the feeling that it was something I should have seen. And if I had been a little earlier, perhaps prevented.'

The shorter haired of the twins turned deep in thought after hearing that statement. His mother worked in the child protection department; she would have given the little girl a home, love and happiness, and JP would no doubt have scared off those bullies with his strong muscles and even stronger heart.

She didn't have to take the death option, and if the look in her eyes just before they turned blank was any indication, she had realised that herself.

She didn't have to..._they_ didn't have to...

He suddenly became aware that his name was being called.

'Koichi?'

He jerked himself from his stupor, before blinking at Tomoki, who had spoken. 'Are you all right?' he asked. 'You're looking a little pale.'

'I-' he began, about to deny it, before shaking his head and changing directions. He really needed a break from all this, he'd be better off at home, in a half doze so that not a sliver of darkness could enter his mind. 'I guess I'm not feeling that hot.' He smiled sheepishly, and not all together convincingly. 'I'll head home.'

He stood, and the other consented, so he left them under the tree and headed for the train station.

His brother stood up to follow, only for Takuya to jerk him down again.

'Hey!' he exclaimed, annoyed.

'You can check up on him later,' the blonde and only female in the group reprimanded fiercely. 'Right now, you're going to answer a few questions about what's up with your brother.'

'Why don't you ask Koichi?' he muttered, slightly fazed. 'I don't know.'

'I think you do,' JP said sternly. 'And Koichi's not going to say anything to _us_ if they're something wrong. You, on the other hand...'

He leaned forward slightly, the other three following his movements and fixating the warrior of light was a quadruple glare, much like the one Bokomon had cracked under.

'I seriously don't know,' Koji repeated. 'He didn't tell me either. Not then, and not this time either...He never says anything!'

That last remark was punctured by a fist driving into the blanket, but that did little to deter the others.

'Just tell us what you do know then,' the youngest said gently. 'We want to help too. We're your friends, and Koichi's too.'

'I know,' the other sighed. 'I said I wouldn't say anything. I don't want to betray that.'

'You'll be betraying him more if there is something wrong,' JP pointed out. '_Especially_ if we can do something.'

The younger twin's shoulders slumped. 'You're right,' he agreed.

'Then tell us.'

'Okay.'

* * *

_**Preview for following chapter**_

_ 'I told them,' Koji muttered, a little guiltily, but resolutely, as he too agreed the others were right. 'I _had_ to tell them. They're your friends too, and mine. They want to help, and you know not telling makes things worse.'_

_Koichi looked away, not willing to meet the others gaze. 'We still don't know anything,' his brother persisted. 'What's bothering you? What's wrong?'_

_He shook his head slowly. It was getting impossible to deny. 'It's nothing you can help with. Nothing anyone can help with.'_

_ 'But-'_

_He turned back and raised a finger to the other's lips to stop the statement in its tracks. 'Just promise me something.'_

_The other stared._

_ 'Promise me that...'_


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes**

Well, that was fun to write. And the next chapter is going to be even more fun, provided I don't have any hyenas chasing me by the end.

The countdown, which for some reason I neglected.

**Chapters remaining after this: 2**

Enjoy, and tell me what you think. Even if it is pitchforks or something similar...I'm not a china-doll like _certain_ people are fond of believing.

And now I need to go, or I'll be late for self defence.

* * *

**Bloodstained Night**

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

**Chapter 7**

'I think it started at the hospital,' Koji began, somewhat hesitantly. 'The night he had a relapse. Or maybe before that, when Lucemon scanned his data, when his heart stopped...it was something about him dying, something that changed his outlook, and changed _him_.'

The others sat in silence, allowing him to continue.

'He talked a little about it the next day, but he never mentioned it again. He said that he could, in that moment where he was clinically dead-' Here, he cut himself off, before continuing. 'He could hear other...voices, tortured voices, calling out to him. And he saw a dark shadow possess a man and kill another...'

He fell silent after that, prompting Takuya to ask if there was more.

The bandana-wearing boy shook his head. 'No...that's it. Though I get the feeling I'm forgetting something, something important.'

'So do we all,' said JP, trying to figure out the hole in his own memory. 'But how are we supposed to help Koichi. Not many people die then live to tell the tale. Death would change your outlook on things.' He shrugged lightly. 'I don't see what we can do.'

Zoe rolled her eyes lightly. 'That's a real confidence booster JP,' she chided. 'We can be there for him.'

The others murmured their assent. There wasn't much more they could do; after all, how could one emphasise with touching death.

None of them paused to consider the possibility of a wayward dream; it would have mattered little if it were. Nor did they question his friend's sanity; they had all seen more illogical things in the Digital World, and as far as things went, it made sense that his own death would have affected, especially after considering how his grandmother's had.

Koji's cell phone ringing interrupted their collective thoughts, and the other four watched him quietly as he engaged in a rapid conversation with the person on the other end, before hanging up and standing.

'That was my mother,' he explained, at the quizzical looks. 'She says Koichi's not home yet.'

Tommy looked at his watch. 'It's been over two hours since he left. He should have been.'

'I'm going to look for him,' the younger twin stated, already off before Takuya called him back.

'Not without us you're not.'

* * *

Zoe effectively split the group into two smaller ones, and send them retracing the elder twin's possible footsteps.

From where they were, he could have either taken the train, then two connecting buses, or taken a bus, then connected to a further train station, followed by a decent trek home.

So she sent JP along with Tommy to the train station, while dragging along Koji and Takuya herself. Though one would question the wisdom of putting the two in the same group, she was more than capable of exercising control over them, and she was fairly certain, in any case, that neither would cause trouble.

But she stayed with them just in case.

* * *

He sat on the bench alone, waiting for the connecting train to pull up at the platform while at the same time struggling to stay awake. The station was a little off the well beaten path, and thus at the time, extremely quiet, so that not even the background noise could keep him from falling into a state of almost-unconsciousness as school and their picnic afterwards did.

Not even the dreamless unconsciousness the sedatives provided him provided enough rest; rather now it felt that he barely slept for a few hours before he was roused again, whether by the wisps of darkness that invaded his dream, or the coming of the dawn from when sleep would no longer grant a reprieve.

It was a sick game, and he was sick of it. Every time he closed his eyes for sleep, he would see death, would hear the tortured souls crying for release, would feel the power humming under his fingertips, begging to be used.

It was enough to make anyone lose their head, but luckily the Digital World had given him more constitution than most. Not to mention youth's addition.

That just meant it took longer. That didn't mean it wouldn't happen.

He didn't even realise the train had come and gone, and three more after that.

* * *

'Why did Zoe go with those guys?' JP muttered, a little dejectedly. While his crush on her was no more than a dream as he knew, he could still wonder if either Light or Flame had captured her heart, and still envy them if they had.

'Maybe so they don't bite each other's heads off,' Tommy suggested. 'Zoe's good at stopping them.'

'True,' he perked up, having forgotten that. Then the line moved forward again, and he asked the ticket-minder: 'Have you seen a boy with blackish hair and blue eyes, twelve years old and wearing a red shirt under a green vest?'

The older man thought for a moment, before shaking his head. 'I'm afraid not.'

'I suppose he didn't come this way then,' Tommy muttered from behind him. 'Hopefully the others find him.'

'Yeah...'

They looked around a little anyway, but found nothing save a clearly starved to dead cat curled up in a lonesome corner.

* * *

The bus eventually pulled in at the station, the last stop on the route, and the three, that is Zoe, Takuya and Koji, trampled out.

'If he had a cell phone,' Takuya complained. 'It would have been far easier to find him.'

'Stop complaining,' the only female scolded. 'You know he can't afford one.'

'We don't need one in any case,' Koji rolled his eyes.

'And what exactly is that supposed to mean?' Takuya got out before Zoe covered his mouth.

The other didn't answer out loud, but simply pointed towards the platforms, and the figure slumped on the otherwise empty bench.

They let out a collective sigh of relief before making a beeline towards him.

* * *

His hands, as well as any other exposed skin, were chilled by the lack of contact with anything more warming, and he relished the numbness it induced. Until, of course, something feeling rather hot in contrast touched, forcing him to yank back and cry out like a trapped animal on reflex, and topple off the bench he had been slumped on.

Voices mumbled above him, mingled with both worry and concern, before another pair of hands, this time mercifully contacting his clothes, helped him up.

'Koichi, are you okay?' Koji's concerned voice reached his ears.

_Okay?_ He almost let out a derisive snort, but luckily caught himself in time.

'I'm fine,' he muttered instead, blinking to banish the shadows from his vision before opening his eyes fully and noticing the other two as well, hovering a little uncertainly. 'You all just startled me is all.'

'Why are you still here in the first place?' his brother asked, a tad harshly but with good visible intent. 'The train wasn't delayed; you should have been able to catch it.'

The other shook his head slightly, still in the other's clutches, before looking up to the clock and shrugging. 'I guess...I fell asleep.'

He certainly looked as though he had, and had been awoken prematurely too. His eyes were a darker, murkier blue than they normally were, though all could swear that it had been a gradual chance, as it in fact had, and rimmed with black which indicated the lack of fitful sleep. His eyes were also bloodshot, and it was a wonder how he had hid that from the others, though one would in that case underestimate cold water's role in freshening up one's appearance.

Koji let a light frown grace his face. 'Mother is waiting.'

'Hmm...' was the uncommitted response.

'Koichi?'

By that time, he had turned away from them. But he still spoke.

'You guys might as well come too. It'll be late by the time you all get home otherwise.'

'True,' Takuya mused. 'I don't want to get grounded again.'

And that settled the matter, though the younger twin couldn't help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive, especially because of the uncharacteristic way in which it was requested.

* * *

Tomoko was happy to have additional guests, and even happier to have both sons safe. She was of course worried about the appearance of her elder, especially as she knew how uncharacteristic it was for him to not attempt to conceal his problems, but Koichi, in his usual soft voice, attempted to reassure her that he was simply tired.

Not that she believed him. But as stubbornness of the sort ran in the family, there wasn't much she could do.

When he was ready, he would tell her.

She hoped.

* * *

Both Zoe and Takuya decided to help Tomoko in the kitchen with preparing dinner to give the twins a little privacy in the doorway of his, that is Koichi's, room.

And the moment they were alone, the younger of the two spoke.

'I told them,' Koji muttered, a little guiltily, but resolutely, as he too agreed the others were right. 'I had to tell them. They're your friends too, and mine. They want to help, and you know not telling makes things worse.'

Koichi looked away, not willing to meet the others gaze. 'We still don't know anything,' his brother persisted. 'What's bothering you? What's wrong?'

He shook his head slowly. It was getting impossible to deny. 'It's nothing you can help with. Nothing anyone can help with.'

'But-'

He turned back and raised a finger to the other's lips to stop the statement in its tracks. 'Just promise me something.'

The other stared.

'Promise me that...' He swallowed, before continuing. 'Promise me that, no matter what happens, no matter who dies, don't waste your lives in mourning, but don't ignore it either.'

Koji stared at his brother. 'Why would you ask something like that?' He questioned. 'And what's the worth? I broke my promise last time.'

'You didn't promise,' the other rebuked, hand fingering the door frame.

'But why?'

'Promise me!' He demanded.

The younger of the two looked into his elder brother's eyes and immediately regretted it. The turmoil was far stronger now, and he looked like he was holding back, stopping himself from feeling, saying, or doing something...

He reached for the other's hand, only to miss as his brother pulled away. 'Don't touch me!' he almost shouted.

'What?' he asked, more hurt than confused.

'Don't touch me,' he repeated, though this time more placate. 'Just don't, please.'

Now even more concerned than ever, he retracted his own hand. 'Now promise me,' Koichi said again.

'A-All right,' Koji gave in. 'I promise.'

'Good.' The elder all but slumped against the doorway. 'That's...good. Tell the others too.'

Silence spread between them, and the ex-warrior of light uncomfortable shuffled on his feet. 'Koichi?' he asked hesitantly, after the silence became unbearable. 'Why can't you tell me what's wrong?'

'Tell you what's wrong?' The other repeated. Then he suddenly laughed, a shivering, haunting laughter. 'How can I? Everything's wrong. Nothing's wrong.'

'You're acting crazy,' Koji whispered hoarsely.

'Am I?' his brother asked, almost conversationally.

Then he shook his head as if to clear it, before clutching it with one hand and reverting back to his normal tone and manner.

'Do you mind leaving me for a bit?' he asked. 'I'll be down for dinner.'

'What?' the other exclaimed. 'No way I'm-'

He cut himself off as his brother looked at him, eyelids drooping from tiredness but still coming off as puppy-dog convincing.

'All right,' he said despite his better judgement, backing slightly so Koichi could shut the door.

'Thank you,' he smiled, before the door swung shut and the lock clicked.

But before it fully shut, he heard another voice as well. He couldn't discern the entire speech, but he was sure he had heard something about light.

_Koichi..?_

And then all he was staring at was the blank door.

* * *

_**Preview for the following chapter:**_

I can't take this anymore, _he thought dejectedly, as he slumped against the door, cradling his head in his arms._

Why not?_ He wondered soon after, as if talking to himself, even if no words were uttered aloud. _Aren't I the one with an eternally black heart waiting to be weighted?

_Then he laughed derisively, almost happily, as he saw it crush under the weight._


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes**

I misjudged the length when I planned this chapter, so it wound up a little longer than I had intended.

And about the ending...do keep in mind that there is another chapter left.

**Chapters remaining after this: **1

Enjoy, and stay tuned for the final chapter, which I'll _try_ to get up before Christmas. Key word, 'try'.

* * *

**Bloodstained Night**

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

**Chapter 8**

'_Pushing away your Light?_'

'He can't save me now.'

_'And yet you brought him still. Hoping against hope, are we?'_

Silence.

'_You thought he could once little Darkness. Given up? Or are you simply afraid that you'll snuff him out with your own blackness?'_

'Just be quiet.'

_'Are you finally beginning to understand Darkness? Can you see your abode in the hellfire? Or will you run back to your Light? You're right you know. He can't save you. No-one can. You lost a long time ago after all.'_

_ 'Be QUIET!'_

He jerked bodily at the same time, resulting in both a painful bruise and obedience, and his mind remained mercifully empty, and the room as a whole mercifully brighter, in a manner of speaking. But emptiness is relative, it results in an echo of the past when future fails to show.

And he knew well it was futile to shut them out, even as he clutched his head tight.

_I can't take this anymore,_ he thought dejectedly, as he slumped against the door, cradling his head in his arms.

_Why not?_ He wondered soon after, as if talking to himself, even if no words were uttered aloud. _Aren't I the one with an eternally black heart waiting to be weighted?_

Then he laughed derisively, almost happily, as he saw it crush under the weight. At least then the burden would be lifted. At least then he would be free.

Free from that blood which stained his hands read. Blood which not even all Neptune's oceans could wash free, should he borrow the far more eloquent work of Shakespeare.

A salty drop of water landed on his arm, leaving a slight trail and it tricked down his pale skin, before followed by another, and a third, before they were brushed away by the frayed ends of his sleeve.

He could only imagine how much more tears would fall. And yet they were powerless.

Perhaps he could ignore them. Perhaps he could still win.

Or perhaps he was just a soft fool. A coward unwilling to face the end.

He got up and opened the door.

* * *

Sunday rolled around, and Koichi Kimura had to be the one kid wishing it hadn't. School, having become increasingly busy as the end of term tests neared, was enough to keep him buried within books and notes and out of his own darkness, until of course time caught up with him and he was forced to yield, for a time.

Away from the demand, it was all too easy to slip up.

And the worst was when sleep could not be denied, when not even the drugs he had become so dependent on could keep the whispers of darkness from his ears, and the wisps of shadow from his eyes.

He found himself trapped, too tired to wake, but yet not enough to prevent the shadows from infiltrating what would have otherwise been a rather restful doze.

And he found himself unconsciously wishing that Duskmon had endured Beowolfmon and Aldamon's assault, if only so that the sanctuary of peace could be granted to him.

Then suddenly he hated them both for taking that privilege away from him.

And the shadows burst to concreteness.

* * *

_He was burning. There was no other way to describe it. He couldn't see a fire of any sort, but he could definitely feel the rising heat engulfing him._

_And for someone who would much rather be numb with cold, it was rather counterproductive._

_Not to mention it wasn't just heat that was burning him. Following the generalised concept of 'indoctrination', or in more common terms, brainwashing, words and emotions were burning him too._

_He was by now at the edge of his restraint, and that edge is easily swayed depending on the stimuli. As it was, it was mostly anger that burned, anger, hatred...all directed at the one who had set it all into motion, already once, and now a second time whose ending wasn't going to be as pretty._

_Until of course, it came back to him. And his sanity.

* * *

_

Koji was the first to wake that morning; he usually was, and he simply rolled over with the dawn to stare at the other two sleeping forms in the room. Takuya, as usual, simply snored on, content, and curled on a futon on the opposite end of the room, remarkably without the covers, was the less content form of Koichi.

'Less content' was probably an ill-worded phrase, as he seemed more trapped within a degenerating nightmare and as far from contention than one could possibly be. The covers were bunched up and tangled next to the desk, looking as though they had been kicked off in the midst of some terror...

'...or a fever,' he murmured aloud once he had made his way over to his brother, close enough to see the flushed skin, the blotches of red against the pale skin.

_Maybe that's why he was acting weird yesterday_, Koji mused. _He was probably just sick the whole time._

Of course, that didn't explain anything else, but perhaps he was so desperate for an explanation outside death's mark that he simply accepted it, bending down beside the futon to awaken his brother.

Only, as soon as his fingers traced the hot skin, the other's eyes flew open with a sharp gasp, and he kicked out on reflex, foot connecting solidly with the other's chest and knocking him away.

Both twins crawled to their feet independently, the younger wincing slightly; surprisingly, the resultant noise from the younger twin's introduction to the wooden floor failed to rouse the third. Zoe was, hopefully, still sleeping in their mother's room, Tomoko having probably left for work by then.

Koichi didn't even seem to notice he had hurt his brother; he had shut his eyes again, clutching his head as though trying to block out something...or someone.

* * *

_It still burned, still hurt, and he wanted it to stop. He could barely make out his room, which really should have been familiar enough for him to recognise and envision without sight however sadly not. It suddenly seemed as foreign as life itself did to one already dead, and he could barely see his surroundings, all meshing into the dim blackness..._

_...then the flame suddenly flared even stronger, and he reflexively lashed out at it, trying to stifle it. It moved a little distance, then remained constant, and he tried to block it from his mind, along with the little voice whispering to him, telling him simply to reach out and tear the soul away from the body...and then the rest of the world, drowning it all in his own darkness so he alone bore the burden while life itself was freed from its chains and consequently denied. _

_Then the flame rose again and cut off the whispers; ironically, the fire was both his torment and his saviour._

_ 'Then get rid of it.'_

'I...can't.'_ He couldn't, because despite all, that fire was keeping his darkness lit._

_ 'And for what? You are Darkness after all. His light is hurting you.'_

_Just as it had in the digital world._

'Koichi?'

_'Have you forgotten, how it felt in the digital world, every time you came close to him, he burned your sanctuary away? Can you not see how he does the same now? Or do you call this your salvation?'_

'No!' he shrieked, lurching as his head spun further, and his skin burned as something warm came into contact with it, holding him up as he threatened to fall to the unforgiving floor. 'No!'

'Koichi? Brother? What are you talking about? Are you okay?'

_'Look how concerned he is for you. Little does he know that he is the cause...'_

He whimpered slightly, prompting the other to attempt to reassure him.

However, that too failed.

'Liar!' he screamed, pulling away and hitting something hard. 'It's your fault!'

'Koichi?'

'Hey, what's going on?' another voice added to the din. 'I was trying to sleep.'

That caused him to laugh. 'You want to sleep?' he asked. 'Then sleep. The only one who is stopping you is him.'

He raised a hand and pointed it to his brother, before it fell to his side and he himself to his knees.

_'You can help him sleep...just let him rest, forever...'_

He pushed himself to his feet again and followed the plea, only to be hindered along the way.

'Koichi, what are you doing?'

'Letting him sleep...' he murmured, still somewhat dazed. 'He wants to sleep.'

'I didn't say that,' the third voice, rather confused, interjected. 'I just said I _was._'

'That's got nothing to do with it anyway. What are you doing?'

'Let GO of me!' He yelled instead of answering, feverishly fighting the grip.

Only, it was too strong to break free of.

* * *

Koji struggled to maintain a hold on his brother as the said boy fought tooth and nail to break free from him.

'Help,' he hissed at the brunette, who was still staring dumbly.

'I don't think that would be a good idea,' he replied. And he had a point, seeing as though the other was trying to reach him.

The door flew open, and Zoe burst in. 'I heard yelling,' she panted. Then she took in the twins, one restrained by the other. 'What's going on?'

Takuya simply shrugged.

'I honestly have no idea.'

* * *

The room eventually came into focus again, though it was still spinning. It was enough, however, for him to be able to take in the situation.

The sudden ceasefire had shocked them all, though, unfortunately for the elder, not enough for the younger to relax his grip.

'Koichi?' he asked, slightly tentatively.

The said twin shook his head, before looking over the rumpled clothing and slight hunch with a more awake and perceptive eye, even if his vision was still blurry.

'Did I...hurt you?' he asked softly.

'It's nothing,' the other said hurriedly.

'Ko_ji_!'

'Hey, I could say the same to you. What in the world were you doing?'

_Doing..?_

_'Take a look around. Then you'll see little Darkness.'_

He did, and found he was a few feet away from his resting place, and Koji was directly between him and Takuya. Zoe was still at the door, looking as though she had rushed in.

'I-I,' his eyes darted jerkily to the shadows that loomed in the room's corners. 'It was just a nightmare.' He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, sounding as though he was trying to convince himself as opposed to the others in the room. 'Just a nightmare.'

'A walking, talking one?' Koji still sounded disbelieving.

'It has been known to happen,' Zoe answered instead, sparing the elder twin the trouble. 'Let him be for now.'

He looked like he wanted to protest, but taking in the other's appearance, he took the ex-warrior of wind's word for it. 'Go wash up,' he said a little abruptly, but not unkindly. 'And take some aspirin for that fever.'

'Fever?'

'Unless being as hot as a furnace is normal.'

Koichi obeyed, Zoe stepping into the room and leaving the doorway empty for him to pass through.

* * *

'So...' Takuya began, and the two remaining turned to him. _'What_ was that all about?'

'I don't know,' Koji said worriedly. 'I wish I did though. It feels like I've lost him.'

'Don't be ridiculous,' the blonde chided. 'Everyone acts weird when they're sick.'

_Maybe...but it just feels like it is in fact the other way around..._

'Hey? What's this?'

Zoe had found the pills on the desk.

'Koichi?' Koji asked, weighing the bottle in his hands, before opening it and looking at the small white pills.

'Sleeping pills,' the boy replied, reentering the room and looking a little better for wear. 'The doctor prescribed them from the hospital.'

'For?'

'So I could sleep without nightmares,' he answered, slightly bitterly.

The bitterness told the other to drop the subject.

'Breakfast?' Takuya asked, seeing as though everyone else seemed to have forgotten about it.

The others shrugged.

'By the way, you're sleeping over at my house today. Neither one of us have school tomorrow.'

'Okay.'

Koji was surprised by the easy agreement, but let it slide, turning to Takuya to run down a game of rock, paper and scissors for the next turn in the bathroom, as Zoe took precedence and Koichi gracefully kicked them out of his bedroom so he could change out of his pyjamas.

* * *

The day passed slightly awkwardly, to say the least, as both twins were too preoccupied with their own thoughts. Actually, that wasn't precisely true, as Koji was more preoccupied with his brother's than his own, however Koichi seemed adamant in avoiding the subject, even from his own thoughts, so they simply passed the time with a movie marathon, followed by several rounds of chess which then turned into a four way tournament when both Satomi and Kousei decided to join in.

Which was very lucky for the elder twin, as the constant changing in tactics absorbed his attention, even if his ability was slightly affected, and the end tally somehow ended in a four-way draw.

Though when bed time rolled around, it all changed again.

Because there was nothing left to distract him from that morning.

Nor the shadows that stirred once again.

* * *

_'Tried to get him, didn't you? Shame that brother of yours got in the way...'_

He was glad. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't, though he could hazard a pretty educated guess.

_'Well, there's always other times. And other souls, yearning to be freed. Can't you hear them?'_

Of course he could. And his own, crying from the burden.

_'You accepted that burden upon yourself by prolonging your life. That is your price.'_

_So I was supposed to die that day._

_ 'More souls await to be freed. You will soon do the Reaper's work and seize them all...everyone, your friends and family too.'_

His blood froze, quite literally, at those words. This morning...he had come too close. Who was to say that Koji would stop him next time. Who was to say he _could._ And why should _he_ be burdened with it.

_'He can't save you. And because he can't save you, he can't save the rest. Including himself.'_

But he had awoken him, stopped him.

Maybe he could save him. Just not in the generic sense.

His hand enclosed around something small and cylindrical.

_'You swore you wouldn't.'_

_Some promises are meant to be broken..._

He couldn't help but wonder, in that deciding moment, if it was even all real. After all, no-one else remembered. Who was to say he hadn't simply dreamed it all up.

_'Would it matter?'_

_No...It really wouldn't..._

...because it was real enough.

And before he could turn back on that choice, he stepped over the boundary.

_'It will drag you down to hell little Darkness.'_

_ 'I am already in it...'

* * *

_

Koji was a little apprehensive when he awoke the following morning, with the sun as usual, but was soon placated when he found his brother comfortably asleep beside him.

And although he could just _feel_ there was something wrong, he climbed out of his bed and headed for the bathroom. After all, his brother was a late riser, and no doubt the pills helped to that.

Even if they were all a little concerned about the said bottle.

Though he didn't even remember it until he tripped over the said container on the way out of the door.

Regaining his footing on the wall, he bent down and picked it up. The orange prescription label shone in the dim morning light, and the cap was on the floor still, evidently not screwed on tight and easily dislodged by the force of his step. There were a few pills stuck to the interior, and another two crushed under his other foot, but he was certain that there was far less in total than there had been that morning.

It registered within his mind in a split instant, and he ran for the bed again, gripping his brother's shoulders and shaking him gently, only to receive no response and shaking harder in retaliation.

'Koichi! Come on, wake up!'

His voice had risen to a near hysterical by the time Kousei came to check on the two. 'What are you shouting about Koji,' he mumbled, sill partway asleep in deprivation of his morning coffee.

Then he noticed the pills, and the near-stillness of the sleeping twin's chest along with the utter quietness in contrast to the other's panic.

'Satomi,' he said, voice shaking in an effort to remain calm. 'Call an ambulance.'

* * *

The doctor looked at the expectant and anxious group, including the assorted teens who, upon Kouji's insistence and his father's approval, were informed of the situation, then shook his head. 'I'm afraid they're nothing we can do,' he murmured. 'It's such a tragic waste, he had his whole life ahead of him.'

Another one scowled. 'What do they get out of killing themselves?' he said bitterly. 'Stupid kids. If they woke up, they'd realise what an idiotic thing they tried to do.'

'He'll wake up,' Tommy whispered. 'Won't he?'

The first doctor shook his head. 'Maybe if we'd gotten to him sooner,' he sighed, 'we could have pumped the drug out of his system. But with a lethal dosage circling his body for a good few hours before anyone found him...' He left the rest of the sentence unsaid.

Koji ignored them all, clutching his brother's cold and unmoving hand along with any straws of hope he could grasp.

But he knew it was a fool's hope, because despite the little he knew of his brother, he did know that his life had been extended beyond the natural course. And he had paid the price for it.

But the younger twin couldn't help but wonder if he had somehow brought his brother to this. Was his desire that strong, when the boy lay clinically dead upon the operating table, that it pulled his soul back from nothingness? Was it too weak to spare the other the consequences?

Had Koichi been right when he directed the blame to him? Was it really his fault, that death haunted him step for step until it finally got what it wanted?

Because of all the control human beings were granted, life and death remained matters supreme. Prolonged time always came at a price. And it was always paid.

The dull beeping emitted by the machine faded into a single monotone amidst the sudden silence.

They waited one minute, then that minute turned into two, then three and four, until it could no longer be denied, and someone spoke into the quietness as the equipment was disconnected.

'Time of death: 8:32 am.'

* * *

_**Preview for the next chapter:**_

_It was a bitter day, wind chilling even through the warm clothes he wore. But it didn't really matter. Sometimes, he could move on, but at times like this, when there was no distractions around, he would always return and wonder if it had been his fault._

_Even though he knew better than to drown in that blame._

_He owed that at least to his brother. The promise that had been so important to him._

_So he wondered, on occasion. But he allowed himself to move on._

_And in doing so, he was able to remember without pain._

_After all, he could not hurt his freedom. He had known, despite others' words of his foolishness. He knew what he had done. And the consequences._

_And he knew what he had left behind. And that is why he promised._

_So those memories weren't tainted further._


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes  
**

Lol, delayed reaction much? I expected at least _some_one to complain about me killing Koichi. That was what happened last time. But I guess you people aren't quite that predictable...at least I'm not in a tissue debt after it.

Explanations are at the end, for those of you who got lost somewhere in between (if there was anyone). Not that I can honestly blame anyone, a rereading tells me I made it rather confusing to get a clear picture. Lucky, that was what I had intended, but towards the middle I was wondering how well that actually worked.

A big thank you to everyone who's stuck by this story so far, and I hope you all enjoy this last chapter.

**Chapters remaining after this:** 0

It took a while getting there, namely between chapters 1 and 2.

* * *

**Bloodstained Night**

'Sleep free of guilt. It shall burden you no longer. Allow my already tainted heart to carry its weight.'-'Why?'-'Reprieve.'-'Till it drags you down to the fiery depths of hell...or do you think your Light will save you?'

Kouichi K & Kouji M

* * *

**Chapter 9**

It was a bitter day, wind chilling even through the warm clothes he wore. But it didn't really matter. Sometimes, he could move on, but at times like this, when there was no distractions around, he would always return and wonder if it had been his fault.

Even though he knew better than to drown in that blame.

He owed that at least to his brother. The promise that had been so important to him.

So he wondered, on occasion. But he allowed himself to move on.

And in doing so, he was able to remember without pain.

After all, he could not hurt his freedom. He had known, despite others' words of his foolishness. He knew what he had done. And the consequences.

And he knew what he had left behind. And that is why he promised.

So those memories weren't tainted further.

'Hey,' someone said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Koji turned, smiling slightly at Takuya's wind-ridden appearance. 'Hey.'

'Don't forget us.'

'Of course not Tommy.'

'What about us?'

'Do I need to mention you all?'

'Honestly, how long will it take?'

'Fine. Zoe and JP.'

'Why am I last?'

'It matter?'

'Not really.'

They fell into silence after that. 'You were thinking again,' Tommy said softly. He may be the youngest, but he sometimes saw things the others didn't. The youth helped.

'Of course,' Koji rolled his eyes, although he knew what the other meant. 'Civilisation would come to a stop otherwise.'

'That's not what I meant,' he rebuked, in the same quiet tone.

'I know. But he's happy now, I hope.'

'I'm sure he is buddy,' Takuya reassured, squeezing his shoulder. 'And I'm also sure he wouldn't want you freezing out here on your birthdays. Or any other day for that matter.'

'That's true,' he said softly. 'He wouldn't want that.'

It was hard to move on, but it was doable. The wounds weren't as fresh as they had once been, though they were still raw, and undeniably, the sadness came and went with the reminders.

That didn't, of course, mean that he was forgotten. It was simply the way he was remembered, and honoured.

'I suppose we had better go home.'

No-one moved, despite the words. They were all caught up in their memories, paying their tribute to the icy wind.

Till Koji turned suddenly as something knocked into the back of his head, snatching the blue baseball cap out of their before it flew past.

They all stared at it, the familiar gold Kanji shining in the afternoon sun. For a moment, they all remembered how it had looked, fallen on the staircase above the prone body, then comfortably sitting amidst the dark locks once they returned it to its rightful owner. But it couldn't e the same...there was no way –

– then someone ran up to the five, and made them rethink that notion.

'I'm sorry,' the boy panted, bowing before straightening up. 'The wind snatched it right off my head.'

The five just stared, taking in the all too familiar blue eyes, bluish black cropped hair and the coloured attire: the green, short-sleeved vest under a red turtleneck and grey jeans to top it all off.

'Koichi?' Koji whispered. _It can't be..._

Confused, the boy shook his head. 'My name's Kioku,' he introduced.

'Oh,' Zoe said, seeing as though the others were silent. 'You just look like a friend of ours is all. Are you on your own?'

'Yeah,' the other replied. 'Grandma and Grandpa are too old to come play with me.'

'Where are your parents then?' Takuya asked, curious.

He shrugged. 'I don't know,' he said sadly, smile fading. 'Grandma says they're on a journey, and they'll be home some day. But I haven't seen them in so long that I can barely remember them, and my brother too...'

'You have a brother?'

He nodded. 'A twin. Our birthdays are today too.'

_That's a coincidence, _Kouji thought. _Today's Koichi's birthday. And mine as well._

'That's a coincidence,' JP said at the same time. 'So is Koji's and that friend we were talking about.'

'Really?' The blue eyes widened as the smile returned. 'Happy birthday then. How old are you? And your friend? My brother and I are twelve. Hey, you haven't even mentioned your names yet! That's not quite fair, I told you all mine.'

Koji had to laugh at the chatter. Koichi _never_ talked that much. Maybe it was just a coincidence...after all, he was a year too young.

But then again, Kioku didn't look a day older than Koichi when he had died.

'I'm thirteen,' he said at last, to the expectant gaze. 'Our friend, my brother, is thirteen too.'

'Oh, you're twins too. You're not spending the day with him?'

'No...' For a moment, he wondered how to explain it. 'He's...on a journey too.'

'Like Mum and Dad and my brother.' He looked at the sky. 'But they'll come back someday. Or we'll go to them. Hey, why don't you all come to my house?' He asked suddenly, grinning at the others. 'Grandma's made cake, and she's a great cook.'

'We're expected somewhere else,' Zoe smiled at the boy. 'But did you help?'

A cute pout worked its way onto his lips. 'Normally I do, but Grandpa wouldn't let me into the kitchen today.'

They all laughed at that. 'Well, enjoy your birthday then.'

'Thanks. And you all enjoy your day too.'

It was only after he had run off did they remember the cap in Koji's hands.

He turned the cap over in his hands, before considering his options. It would be hopeless to run after the strange boy; he was long gone, and it didn't look as though he was even in the park at all anymore.

The wind changed directions, with the sun peeking out from some clouds and warming it.

Smiling slightly, he let go of the cap and let the wind spirit it away.

_I hope you're happy brother...

* * *

_

'I'm home,' Kioku called, closing the door behind him and toeing off his sneakers. 'Grandma? Grandpa?'

'In the living room honey,' his grandmother's voice followed.

He peeked around the door, finding the old woman where she had said. 'Your grandfather's gone to get some candles,' she smiled, beckoning him over. 'We were one short. Well, two short actually. The one to grow on too. We can't have you twelve forever.'

Kioku climbed into his grandmother's lap. 'I met some people today,' he said.

'Oh did you?' she smiled, gesturing him to continue.

'They seemed familiar,' he mused out loud. 'But I'm sure I've never seen them before in my life.' The cute pout returned. 'One of them called me Koichi.'

'They did?'

'Yeah...turned out they mixed me up with a friend. But they were nice people.'

'First impressions?'

'No...It's just a feeling.'

Kameyo Kimura laughed. Honestly, she wasn't all that surprised, even if her grandson couldn't remember. None ever could at that stage, but she was glad he was with them now; he was far happier, far more free.

Though with the past, no one can ever be free of it.

_Right little one? There was a reason we renamed you Kioku after all..._

'Oh no,' he exclaimed suddenly. 'I forgot my cap with that boy.'

She chucked at that. 'Check the mantelpiece sweetie.'

'Huh?'

He did, finding the cap sitting calmly next to the open window.

'How did it get there?'

'I suppose it likes you too much.'

'Just like a boomerang, right Grandma?'

'Right.'

_And not just the hat, but the memories and ties too. After all Koichi, it was no coincidence that you met those five out of everyone._

'Grandma? What are you thinking about?'

'Oh, just memories...'

* * *

_**THE END**_

About this story, there's more than one way you can interpret it, and whichever one you pick is up to you. The two I intended were these:

Death (the shadow) was playing a game with Koichi, seeing as he had (technically speaking) overstepped his time in that world when Koji/Ophanimon/the D-tectors woke him. He should have died that day. So from there, death haunted him, giving him the power to take other souls and set them free, and it eventually drove him to the brink of insanity which led to his suicide and Death taking his soul. So Death got quite a few souls out of that deal. And the ending...well, Death didn't exactly win his game in the end. Sure, Koichi died, but he set his own soul free, not someone else setting it free. And the others let him go, so they remembered him, unlike the other deaths. Ever left for dead and pushed there, only to have it weigh on consciousness, or to wallow in futile pity. That's why Koji's promise was so important to Koichi.

The other one is this: the entire deal, from his dream and the first death to that little voice taunting him about Koji and his near miss with Takuya, was his own insanity. Actually experiencing death would, I imagine, have a negative impact on people (I can't say for sure, do I look like I've ever died?), and in this case, it severely affected his psyche and led eventually to a sense of paranoia, and he resorted to suicide to escape that. In this one, the deaths themselves never happened, except his own, and that is why no-one remembers them; the bits where people realise it from before is him imagining those people that die really existed.

Now, about the ending, there is a few ways that can be taken too. First, I suppose, would be reincarnation, that Koichi was reincarnated as Kioku, and Kouichi's grandparents (just assume they were both dead) are reincarnated too, but I don't really like that one, but I would imagine that depends on your opinion of death.

The other one, the one I personally prefer, is this: death is life on a different plane. So when Koichi/Kioku says his parents and brother are on a journey, he means they haven't died yet (though he doesn't remember, so doesn't actually _know_ that). When Koji says his brother's on a journey, he means that his brother is dead. In that sense, life and death are journeys. And as for why his grandmother (and grandfather) can remember while he can't, they've been dead for far longer. In the eyes of this new world, he's still too young.

BTW, Kioku means 'memory'. Kameyo means 'tortoise', a symbol for long life.


End file.
